Dragon Blood Oil
by Bana the Random
Summary: Three days they were told. Kakashi and Iruka leave for the desert on a mission so secret even the Hokage doesn't know. They have no allies, no place to stay, and no idea what they're getting into. Chapter 11 is up! Chapter 1, rewritten.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. What more can I say?

Ok, another Bana the random story coming right-atcha. Hope you like this one! One warning this is original…. So, please review. I'm really trying to become a better writer, that's why I write for (that and the fact that it gives us all an excuse to write on another person's work).

Notes: Jezebel Itako…. She is my character, and not much is known about her yet (that'll be cleared up eventually). You may notice certain similarities to Gaara. This is purposeful. She is like Gaara, but her childhood is different, thus, a different person. Thanks!

**DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY LENGTH. This IS really very easy to read if you bear with it. **

Dragon Blood Oil

Prologue

How can one erase fifteen years of hell? You can't, it's ingrained into you. You grow most at childhood, and what you're exposed to… and hear becomes part of you. You can never escape it. It is who you are.

You can't control your life, or can you? Perhaps if I had known the answers to these questions it wouldn't have been so hard. Maybe I'm just deluding myself. I am a liar, you know, all the time. I hide things, but I never considered this lying, it's just not…. Telling everything. Maybe, I'll be completely truthful for once, totally and completely clean. You can believe whatever.

_Itako__ Jezebel_

Voices from Beyond the Mortal Planes…

"This child has quite a fate awaiting her,"

"She will not be easy for those around her,"

"You should talk, lord. You're half blood yourself, are you not?"

The lord held his child at a distance from his body and scrutinized her.

"That I am," he replied. "I would have the girl stay, you know,"

"Then why-?"

"Fire!" And, of course there was fire, set by a small figure huddled behind a water barrel. She giggled a bit, grinning toothily up at the ebony sky where the smoke was beginning to blot out the stars. She _appeared_ invisible in the black night, cloaked within the shadows.

Mud caked in her brown hair, which fell in a wave to her waist. Nothing about her outward appearance would have revealed the character that waited within, except maybe her eyes. Empty green eyes glared in empty thrill as screaming and the crackling of flames reached small ears.

She rocked back and forth, holding fast to her knees until something thudded against the side of the water barrel. Water sloshed over the side. She hissed as a protective coat of dirt rinsed away.

A small white hand shot out, and grasped for the fallen object. The hand ripped into flesh and tore away gooey chunks, so quickly the victim had no time to cry. Sharp canine teeth tucked into the body and sipped. Man, age forty-three, she could tell. She didn't care.

The child Jezebel ate well that night, lulled to sleep on the sounds of destruction. The dragon in her reveled in the sweet perfume.

For thirteen years chaos reigned supreme in Jezebel's body. She was intelligent, bestial, and callous. A deadly combination. By that thirteenth year the innate uncontrollable chakra started to fade. The intense power dwindled away. As that happened the animal in Jezebel disappeared, replaced by a cruel calculating human.

The oracle was the type of man that nobody liked, except the occasional brave child. A swindler and scoundrel, crude and a drinker, but also wonderful to children, he held them in exception. He was a liar, but kind. As opposed to Jezebel who was open and psycho.

The day the short thirteen-year-old met Watcher was not easy for either of them. She hit puberty and was drowning cramps in a bowl of ramen. Watcher, a carpet salesman by trade, drowned his loses in beer.

Sand blew through the desert noodle bar, whistled through the screens and around the guests. Not that there were many, it was the middle of the day. Most got up and headed for shelter at the first telltale signs of a sandstorm, but two quietly sipped their order and made no move to leave. A short pudgy man, the proprietor, ambled over to them. Before shoving glasses beneath the bar he glanced outside through the massive wicker screen that surrounded the noodle bar, then at the two people still sitting there a few stools away from each other.

"You'd best be getting home now, miss." Fat jowls rippled. He stuck a hand in his apron pocket.

"Home?" Cold green eyes stared at him. The hair on the back of the man's neck rose, he looked away, not quite sure why. Jezebel took a moment to wonder exactly what home was, she had wondered before, but her answers always came up lacking. Was that what home was, a place to go when sandstorms blew up? Pointless.

"Come on, girl, do you have a death wish?" She smiled, not that she gave a damn. Proper women watch their weight.

"Actually." She ran her tongue over sharp canine teeth inside her closed mouth. "I do."

The owner paled. For some reason _this_ girl scared him, something about her was not quite right.

"Just to remind you, you already paid for that ramen. But if you want the money back I'll-." She ignored him as he worked himself through a circular argument.

The oracle watched. He sipped his beer with sun-browned hands and stared with eyes so black they could be onyx. His skin was wrinkled and old, like sandpaper. Fluffy white hair surrounded a growing bald spot. He had been around for a long time.

The Watcher tilted a beer to his lips and continued to listen.

Sand swirled in small tornadoes between the tables and around the bar. Outside the sandstorm picked up. The proprietor was rather nervous about this, the screens surrounding his noodle bar would be ripped off if the storm got any stronger. He wanted to be in the kitchen when that happened.

"Don't worry. I don't want anything to do with you. I try to keep the fat in my diet minimal. Besides, you probably taste like dog." (_Assuming she's eaten dog…) _Jezebel gagged at the thought of such a man. The Watcher decided it was time to make his entrance into the forced conversation.

"You, know, you've grown much since I last saw you." Jezebel turned, frowning, she noticed him for the first time.

"Are you insane or just stupid? You humans get blown away in these storms. Go home."

"Indeed you have grown, smarter at least." Watcher was unfazed. Jezebel didn't like him. He was to unlike the humans she was used to; he would look her in the eyes instead of slowly backing away.

"I don't remember anyone like you." In truth, she didn't really remember anything about her childhood.

"Well, I remember you; you're a hard face to forget."

"Is that a compliment?"

"A statement, girl, a statement." He took a long draught from his bottle. The fat man, eager for an excuse to leave mumbled something about dishes and darted to the kitchen, glad that the freakish girl's attention was no longer on him. "By the way, you have blood under your nails."

"Oh, thanks." She proceeded to clean the dark red crescents out with her teeth. The rug swindler made no noise of disgust. Jezebel's dislike for him deepened, wasn't he afraid of her? _He will be if I tried to kill him. _She contented herself with that explanation, unwilling to expend further energy. Besides, her abdomen hurt. _He's lucky he caught me on a weak day. _ "Wish I knew what he meant…" she muttered.

"Be careful what you wish for girl," intoned the Watcher. "Just be careful."

"Hah!" She tilted the bowl to her mouth and slurped up the last of it. "Why? I've never gotten hurt in my life. Come to think of it, what is pain? People speak of it constantly. The concept, I mean… To hurt?" Hard raucous laughter filled the shop. It was an odd sound, not belonging to someone so young. She mocked what she didn't know. She couldn't miss it. Besides, who would miss pain? Pain is hurt. Who would miss hurt? Hurt was discomfort. Discomfort just sucked.

"Lady, I'd be politer if I were you," Watcher said blandly. "We will meet again. I would rather not fight when the time comes."

"It won't come." She stood and walked to the screen door.

Sand swirled in waves outside. Before leaving she turned.

"By the way, you have shit on your face." She indicated a dribble of beer on his chin. He nodded and wiped it.

She swung the door open against the wind, and disappeared into the blowing dust clouds outside.

The Proprietor popped his head out of the kitchen.

"She went out in that?"

Watcher nodded and slugged the last of his beer. Then he too got up and vanished into the sandstorm. There was work to be done.

Please review! Constructive criticism is very, very helpful. If you review I'll give you a cookie, or a muffin. throws muffin at unsuspecting brother- wheeeeeeee!


	2. Children, dark children

Disclaimer:  I do not own Naruto.  But if I did my management would fail.

A Memory

"He, he, heeheheehee," hysterical giggling never fit Jezebel.  That never stopped her from doing it.

The sun beat down upon sand so yellow it was almost grey.  Waves of heated breeze shimmered over the dunes.  Jezebel collapsed into a fit of choking giggles watching the caravan of people scurry around below her.  They swarmed like ants, even running each other over in an effort to get behind some wagon in the train.  Not that it would've helped any.  

This they knew, because on a ridge about one hundred yards away was a dragon, or dragon-human.  They couldn't tell which.  It rolled over and a growling could be heard, as if from legends the animal would blow fire.  Shredded looking black wings rustled in the hot wind around the writhing animal.  And then it sprung.

Jezebel straightened; it wasn't right for someone so unserious to kill people.  But they were hilarious, and she had allowed herself a brief laugh at them.  Her tattered black skirt swirled around her legs.  And then she cast herself from the ridge.  Like a dragon on black wings, she ran, face alight with pleasure.

Mentally she forced her charka out before her, creating a huge black wave.  The people below were plunged into darkness.  They waited for some monstrous jutsu to swallow them alive.  Bodies crouched within the sand shivered and trembled.  Sweat dripped down faces mixing with tears of futility.  They waited for death in black heat.  

But they were wrong.  Jezebel preferred her victims die by her own hands….

_"Memories of my early life are rather dim.  My childhood was a mystery to me.  Not that I would care to know exactly what I did.  I know it was probably nothing more then killing anyway, and I don't care to know exactly who I killed.  Do you expect me to make apologies to their families?  My count already numbers over one hundred I need to know about no more.  _

_Anyway, I remember some scenes from my childhood, mostly colors (red and brown), whether it be fire, sand or blood.  I chose to forget I was human.  Don't get me wrong, I knew what species I was…Technically.  But mentally I was a dragon, a dessert child.  Free, like wind *sighs, but bound by my own ignorance._

_And then I met Watcher a second time."  Jezebel Itako_

"Hello again, dear," Jezebel looked up from the bone she a sucking the marrow out of.  She yawned and ignored the voice.  She was sleepy and full of meat; the sun was warm on the sand she curled up on, too tired to deal with idiots.  She threw the bone onto a growing pile and closed her eyes, pulling down her already too short black dress.

She was currently living in an oasis somewhere in the middle of wind country.

The rug swindler sat down on a patch of grass next to a small pool of brackish water.  He dropped his large cloth pack of rugs next to him.  

"I know you're awake, girl,"

"Whadaya want?"

"To return the balance,"

"What in hell is the balance?"

"You're shifting it,"

"Why should I care?"  She wondered suddenly what the balance was.  Some kind of scale, perhaps?

"Perhaps you're closer to it then you think.  The balance-,"

"I'm not stupid; I know what a balance is!"  The watcher looked at her as if to say, "Like hell you do."

"Not this balance dear.  Believe me; you will want to know what it is.  But first, tell me dear, do you know how many shinobi are after you?"

"No," honestly she hadn't noticed any at all.  "Ask me if I care?"

"Hundreds, especially sand.  You've done quite a bit of depopulating in Sand country," she shrugged, uncaring.  Then tried a new approach to the unwanted visitor.

"Why is it you talk to me?  Most people back away slowly.  As if they aren't the ones with the problems,"

"You have quite a reputation young lady…  Besides, most people don't want to be eaten," She looked unembarrassed at the pile of debris.

"And you do?  You know, I am getting hungry again," Still Watcher was unperturbed.

"You can't touch me, besides, I have better things to do," Jezebel's patience was running thin.  This man had been there long enough, not only that he seemed to always be testing her for something.  Jezebel saw no point in putting up with him.  She was much stronger, his blood would run.

"Then leave, if you have no death wish,"

"Look who's talking," his voice was bland and his eyes calm.  Jezebel cracked.  _Enough of this, insolent fool.___

She launched herself at him, hissing.  He dodged her attempted claw.  Again she ran at him, and missed as he inclined his head slightly.  Her breath rasped in her throat, she cursed in a language unknown to her.  Again she came, this time she had a strategy in mind.  Chakra gathered in her bare feet, she pounced, sailing up over Watcher's head.  She had him!

The Watcher made a quick seal with his hands.  Wind blasted from the girl-freak's lungs as she was slammed by an invisible staff.  Colors swirled before her eyes, the grimy gray-blue of the water.  She smacked down into it with a resounding echo.

The Watcher knew she was already unconscious.  He heaved himself to his feet, waded into the murk and pulled Jezebel from the water.  She would sleep now, maybe for up to two weeks (if he was lucky).  A lesson had to be taught here.

Within those two weeks Watcher would find her family guardians.  It has taken him two years to find the country where they resided.  Now he only had to find the individuals.

Hitake Kakashi pulled his pants on.  Wait!  How impolite!  Bad time, Kakashi?  We'll come back later.   Let's go visit Iruka.  At seventeen, Iruka had just passed his chuunin exam two years ago.

And now….!  Back to the Desert!  We join our heroine outside of Hidden Sand Village.

A child poked Jezebel.  The girl was laying outside his city gates.  The child continued to poke her side.  A large purplish bruise was forming under her dress.  She stirred and groaned but the child ignored this.

"Stop," a tanned hand made a grasp for the offending finger, but before it connected a large flood of sand blocked it.

Jezebel fully awakened by now.  She stared at a little boy (must have been about five) with rusty brown hair and strange eyes.  They were rimmed in black.  Jezebel thought it looked kind of cool.  He clutched a stuffed bear.

Sharp sensations shot from the bruise on Jezebel's side.  What…  Pain?  Certainly this was a discomfort.

She looked again to the child still standing there as though nothing had happened.  He just stared right back.  He MET her gaze, like the rug dealer…

"Who are you?" said the five year old solemnly.

"Jezebel.  Aren't kids supposed to have more energy then that?"  The boy shrugged.

"I don't know, my brother has lots of energy.  Temari tells him to shut up, but shut up is a bad word," said the boy matter-of-factly.  Who the hell was Temari?

Jezebel's sides ached.  This was pain?  It pissed her off.  The boy should be running by now, but somehow he did not seem afraid of her.  Nor was she scared of him.

"What's wrong with your eyes?"

"What's wrong with yours?  They're black lined," Jezebel blinked her almond green eyes slowly.

"Mine are from a sand incarnate.  That what my uncle told me.  Does your side hurt, J-Jeza- Jezzy?"  The name was hard and strange on the boy's lips.

Jezebel considered this.

"Can you tell me what "hurt" is?"

"No, I can't," Dead silence fell between the two.  "My name's Gaara.  I'm five,"

"Aha,"

"I can take you to someone who can tell you,"

"You do that," Feeling shaken from her argument with the Watcher Jezebel, newly christened Jezzy was inclined to agree with the boy.  Besides there was something about this minute human she might actually like.

Tentatively Gaara took her large hand in his own (Jezzy noticed the veins in his neck, a sure sign of hunger), and led her to a large iron portcullis built into adobe and stone walls.  Gaara ducked between the heavy iron slats.  This was good because Jezzy was very tempted to try and squeeze his hand until it broke.

"I can't fit through there, moron!"  Gaara stared as if she had grown an extra head, no one had ever, ever yelled at him!

"I'll go get someone to open it," Gaara disappeared, only to have the gate creak open minutes later.  Jezzy skittered under it the minute it was high enough to fit her.

"So, where are we going?"  Gaara was already walking down a dusty street.

This was not the first time Jezzy had been in a town without killing intent, but she stared around anyway.  Adobe building lined the street; they were covered with red roofs and had little doors and windows.  Several families lived in one house.  She passed a ramen bar and a restaurant and a large building that looked like a school.

Faces peered curiously through the windows and doors quietly slid shut as they passed.  Jezebel glared at those faces.  Gaara ignored them.

"Where exactly are we?"

"Hidden Sand Village," Jezzy cocked her head, weren't they supposed to be hunting her?  Maybe she was just too much for them, or maybe the rug-seller lied, either thought made her smile.  But the minute it touched her lips her strength seemed to dwindle.  She needed food.

The boy stopped in front of a large apartment building.  He pushed the front door open and peered inside, hugging his bear.

"Yashamaru, I'm home!"  There was no answer.  Gaara turned to Jezebel.  "He must be out.  He's a healer, my uncle,"

"Did he heal you?"

"He can't.  I never hurt,"

"Well," she said cynically.  "We have something in common then," The boy looked at her solemnly.  "Never mind, you wouldn't get it," especially since she didn't understand it herself.  The entered the tan hallway.

There was something strange about this child.  Jezzy couldn't put her nail through it, but it wasn't quite right.  Of course she only knew wrong anyway.  Apparently she was wrong.  She felt alive in being so.

"You shouldn't wear that,"

"Why not?"  Who was he to comment on her dress?

"Yashamaru wouldn't like that; he'd say it was indecent,"

"And I wouldn't listen to him," Jezzy caught sight of a mirror around a corner.  She stopped.

"Gaara what is wrong with me?"  She looked like everyone else.  Her skin was a little darker, arresting green eye held gazes.  She picked a spot on her face briefly.  Her hair had been chopped short; it continued to get into her face and stuck there.  The dress was at least five years old.  It was worn and ragged now, and in some places translucent.  In the front it was so tight her blossoming cleavage was falling out.

Gaara stood curiously behind her.

"You smell like meat, Jezzy"

"So, I like meat," Jezebel felt weak, weak and hungry… and drained.  What had the rug selling asshole done to her?  "That reminds me, I'm kind of hungry,"

Gaara wandered into the kitchen to find food.  Jazzy remained transfixed by the mirror.

She wasn't afraid of him.  She didn't run away when Gaara came near.  Maybe she could be his friend?  Then he would have someone to play with!  Maybe even Yashamaru would like her when she obtained some proper clothes.  Gaara mentally crossed his fingers.

Jezzy wandered into the kitchen.  Gaara pulled a raw steak out of the freezer using a chair.  Jezzy looked at it with disgust.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't you have anything a little… fresher?" 

"But it's raw,"

"It's rock hard, how disgusting is that?  I can barely eat that kind of thing when I'm sick,"

"Oh," Gaara was full of curiosity about this girl.  He would have had Yashamaru cook it for them.  It was good, very fresh.

"I guess I'll just have to go hunting…."  Jezebel sighed and turned towards an open window.  Hunting for what, Gaara wondered.  Animals?  But this steak (he poked it) was the best things came.

"Gaara?  I'm coming back when I'm done, okay?"

"Okay, maybe we can play then," he looked up hopefully, but already she was gone.  She must have slipped through the open window.

Gaara hugged his bear to his small chest.  Maybe he'd found someone alone, like him.

When Yashamaru came back he had Gaara's older siblings with him.  He tugged a stocky sullen boy after him by the ear.  The boy clawed violently at Yashamaru's gloved hands.  He refused to squeal.

The two were fallowed by and eight year old girl with four blond pigtails.  She wore a pair of dusty overalls.  Her tongue was stuck out as far as it could go at her brother.  Gaara fallowed them to the part of the long hallway with bedrooms. 

"Stupid Kankuro!" Temari yelled.  "That is why you don't pick fights!"

"It was a dare-," Wham!  The door slammed shut in his face.

Yashamaru glared at the door.

"When you're ready to apologize to that poor boy you can come out and get cleaned up,"

"Yeah!" agreed Temari.  Yashamaru turned on her.

"You were no better, encouraging them like that!"

Gaara waited patiently for things to quite down.  Suddenly there was a loud bang!  The front door slammed open.

Temari's jaw dropped.

"Oh my god," gasped Yashamaru.

"Yashamaru, Temari, I'd like you to meet my new friend!" said Gaara.

Thanks for reading!  I'd really appreciated any review you have for me, whether they are good, bad or whatever.  **Please review**

Note: Yashamaru is a boy, no?  He always looked so much like a girl.  Also, there's a story called Gaara's Reign under my pen name- it's by my twelve year old brother.  It's humor and um…  Interesting.

Thanks!

**And the muffins go out to…**

**Leah Black!  You were my first reviewer so you get two muffins!  Thank you**

Thank you to **Naito Kiseki.  You made me think a little bit.  Perhaps that wasn't the best opening…******

**Yuki-san1- you can have as many muffins as you want.  Ooo look! Here's a chocolate, and a blueberry, and a banana nut!!!!!**

**hattuteline- your constructive criticism was very helpful.  I'll try to watch out for those things.**

**Soccer dude- thanks for reviewing.  My brothers said the sandstorm bit was cool too.**

**Personcolin****- don't worry, Watcher is an Uber-fighter.  The truth is no one has ever seen his top power- it's like watching the gods cause earthquakes.  Ya know?**

**Em****- thanks cous', wanna review again?  Jkjkjk, had a great time in NM!**

Wow **Annester**** the Adorer you rock my world!  No, I swear!  When I read good reviews I feel great, yours was one of the best.**

**Silent Breeze- much love and forever.  Btw- I reviewed your story!  Roast marshmallows on those flames girl!**

**Lone Wolf- you get a muffin of your choice just for reviewing. J**

**Hope you guys come back for more!**


	3. Kidnap: Not Quite

Dragon Blood Oil:  Kidnap, Not Quite

Disclaimer:  I do not own Naruto.  I do not see the point in spending any more time on a disclaimer.

Note from the author:  First of all I'd like to thank all the people who had the graciousness to review.  I really love all of the reviews, even the not-so-great ones.  

For this chapter I have decided to change scenes entirely.  I'd like to welcome all of you to Earth Country.  Welcome to the Village of the hidden Leaf.

18 year old anbu, Hitake Kakashi fell from his bed around midnight. The confident shinobi gazed around his lightless bedroom for the source of what woke him up.  Piles of clothes, assorted weapons, books (_Explaining Girls, Justice, Honor, Betrayal)_, and leftover food were scattered over his floor, along with the bed sheets he has kicked off during some strange dream.  Posters hung on the walls, some peeling by the corners (_Self-help:  Get a girlfriend now!  Be a better shinobi, master the Sharrigan!    The code of the Shinobi, Progeny: The Next Big Bang)._

Kakashi heard something just before the door swung open.  Light from the hall streamed in, momentarily blinding the crouching anbu.    Kakashi recovered quickly, he rolled across the floor on finely hewn reflexes, grabbing a kunai from one of the various shuriken holsters.

In the doorway a large man's figure was silhouetted.  The strange man leaned in the doorway lazily, as if he expected this reaction.  He smelt of beer.  Kakashi didn't recognize him at all.  

"What are you doing in my house?" 

"I've come to collect my fair trade of goods," said the man simply.  He seemed to be waiting for something.  He wasn't a slave trader.  They generally knew better then to prey on shinobi.  

Kakashi did not beak out of his fighting stance.  There was no way he could trust this man. 

 "Put that down boy, you won't need it now," The relaxed man beckoned at the kunai Kakashi had hidden in the palm of his hand.  

Kakashi felt an overwhelming urge to obey.  His mind whispered, _put it down….  No!  Put it down…_  His fingers twitched to drop the kunai.  What kind of mind fuck was this man using?  What jutsu was this?  _I am not going down without a fight!!!!_

"Well if you insist on being difficult…"

"Tell me who you are!"  He forced the words out of his mouth.  A spy?  An assassin?  Then why prey on a lone anbu?

His body moved on its own now.  It rose from crouching stance, his body jerking from a mental battle with a strange jutsu.  Kakashi did the only thing he could think of, used the sharrigan, (not that it would do much).  The man in the doorway made a strange motion and Kakashi's body stopped moving entirely.  Arg!  No he couldn't even copy the jutsu he just witnessed!

Shelf his pride, that's the answer!  Call for help!  By this point his mouth would no longer obey its master.  Kakashi watched fearlessly as the man entered the room.  His normal and sharrigan eye fallowed every movement.  The man tapped a point on the Anbu's neck. Darkness swallowed him.

Kakashi body never hit the floor.  The Watcher caught it before it had a chance.  Watcher stared at the boy caustically.  Kakashi was wearing only boxers and a facemask.  _This _was what he came all this way to find?  This overconfident fool?  Pathetic.  This mission was doomed from the start.  _Kami, why me?!_

The Watcher hoisted the boy over his shoulder potato sack style and walked to a horse drawn cart waiting outside.  The boy was too light; he had gone some time without food, thought the Watcher.  The rug salesman dropped his limp cargo into the back of the cart with a few articles of clothing he gathered before leaving.  

_Now, stop two._

Umino Iruka slept right through the Watcher's entry, the Watcher's walk through the kitchenette, and the Watcher's walk up the creaking stairs.  In fact Iruka didn't wake up until the Watcher stood next to his bed.

"Now this is pathetic, wake up boy!"  Iruka shot straight up.  He whirled around wildly until the Watcher grabbed an arm.  "Stop hyperventilating, calm down, get dressed, pretend I'm not here," Iruka stood puzzled as a man in the loose robes of a wind country dweller flicked on the lights.

"Who are you?"  He bent to pull off his pajamas, blushing.  The older man averted his eyes.  Iruka dove into a dresser searching for clean clothes.

"I buy things," the man turned back around.  "I sell things.  Call me Watcher," Watcher stuck out a gnarled hand.  Iruka paused and hurriedly shook before rushing into the next scattered pile of clothes.

"Umino Iruka," _as if he didn't know that already._  Iruka buckled his chunin vest and pulled his hair into a ponytail.  "How do I know you're not going to kill me?"

"You don't, but that's not your concern," Iruka felt compelled to obey Watcher's orders.  Something about this man made him uneasy.  He knew he was being manipulated.  "Besides, if I wanted to kill you I would have done it a long time ago, perhaps while you _slept_,"

_Wonderful, this man thinks I'm an idiot._ _ Let's try a different question then._

"Where are we going?"  Perhaps his first questions should have been "why".

"To Wind Country, I hate all these trees, they make me feel claustrophobic, you know what that means, right?"  Iruka nodded.  "As for your 2nd question.  I can't tell you yet, so don't ask again,"  

Ok, fine.  The Sand people were allies right now, though that could change at the drop of a hat.  

"I'm ready," Iruka faced the Watcher.

"No you are not,"

"Wait, how long is this gonna take?"

"A few weeks, give or take a month," A month?!  What the hell was going on here?  

"Then food-,"

"Don't worry about food.  Worry about your health.  Take clothes…  Clothes and…   Oh yeah, and as much weaponry as you can carry.  At least enough for two," Iruka didn't like the sound of this.  What was going on here?  He was sneaking out at 1:30 A.M. (he glanced at the clock); with a man he knew nothing about, who was telling him he would be gone for a month.

"You know any dragon legends?"

"Of course," Iruka threw a bunch of clothes and kunai into a backpack.  Awkwardly, he tied on a shuriken holster with the other hand.

"Ever wanted to meet one?"

"No," he said quickly.  Quite frankly Iruka wanted nothing to do with the fire breathing leviathans of legend.

"Well, then I would prepare to be scared shitless," Iruka stopped dead in his packing.  He could've turned back, but he was too far into it now.  "Don't stop boy," It seemed like Watcher read his mind.  "I'll have to do to you what I did to your comrade,"

"What?  Who?"  Another chunin perhaps?  Iruka tied the pack shut.  

"Talk later, move now," Watcher gave the boy a shove towards an open window.  "Go.  Now.  Time's up,"

On the street below, in the waxy light of a streetlamp stood a wooden farmer's cart.  A pair of marking less ebony horses waited hitched to the front.  They were untied, but waited quietly.  In the front end of the cart was a long bench which sat elevated above the rear.  On it rested a long coiled black whip next to a bottle of cheap wine.  Iruka had an ominous feeling.  He pushed it aside; it was too late for that.  In the back of the cart were piles and roles of rugs, all types, oriental, knitted, doormats, Persian, anything.  Mixed in with them flew bits of straw.  The whole ensemble creaked.  It looked ludicrous sitting there in the middle of Leaf Village.

"Good gods boy, what are you waiting for?  Jump!"  Iruka sprung from the window.  For a brief moment wind rushed past his face, then he landed nimbly on the rough wooden bench.  The horses didn't even flinch.  Watcher sat right there next to him, Iruka hadn't seen him jump.

"Get in the back kid.  You can get some sleep before we get there.  Long trip,"

Iruka flopped off the bench and into the rear of the cart.  Dust and bits of hay flew out from under him when he landed.  It itched his throat and eyes.  He felt so sleepy all of a sudden, unbearably so.  He rubbed his eyes.  Watcher clucked at the horses.  

_Sooo tired…  No!  It's what he wants…  _Mentally Iruka shook himself.  He leaned against the side of the cart yawning.

"Hey, wazzat?"  There was something underneath the bench.  Someone.   Iruka rubbed his eyes.  His vision was so fuzzy.  "Waz he doin'?"

"Sleep, kid," came the Watcher's voice.

"He's sleepin there?  It doesn't, not seem fair.  He gets ta- gets to stretch out.  Nofair…  He's only wearin' 'is  b-boxers.  Ha ha.  This is, it's weird or sumptin'…  Nofair…," Iruka's eyes closed.  His breathing evened into that of sleep.

Watcher smiled as Iruka's babbling subsided.  The boy had been awfully resistant to his jutsu, but an idiot if anything.  This is what he was bringing.  Guardians?  Ha, an overconfident fool and an idiot with no sense of self-preservation.  This mission was doomed from the start.  The Watcher lifted the wine bottle to his lips and glanced back to check his merchandise.

The boys were ok.  They'd wake in a few hours. The nan turned his attention to the great ebony horses.  

"Go on, get us outa this stinking hellhole," They walked to the gates, avoiding the light of streetlamps hooves echoing in the empty street.

The huge wooden gates swung open before their small procession.  

"Who goes there?!"  A voice called from the watch tower above the dark gates.  Watcher ignored the sentry's call.  

"Go on, go through the gate," he whispered to the horses.  They listened.

"Stop!" yelled Hayate.  He swung down from his post, the light inside it flicked on.  Watcher did a quick jutsu in the dim light.

"Sleep now, kid.  Get some rest," Suddenly Hayate felt unbearably sleepy.  Sooo tired…

Wham!  The gates slammed shut behind the cart.  

There were no more obstacles.  Two weeks was up.  He had found his quarries.  Time favored him.  

Watcher urged the horses into a gallop.  Muscles bunched and twisted in their haunches, hooves pounded on the dirt road.  Konohagakure became again "Village of the Hidden Leaf", as it vanished into a swirl of leaves.

**Naito Kiseki- **you are one of the only people to review more then once.  You wanted me to introduce other characters so here's a few more!  These guys are fun to write about.

**Dan Inverse- **To answer both of your questions, Jezebel's lineage is quite complicated.  Her mother was a mortal woman, *makes note, and her father was a demi-god.  His parents were a dragon god (in human form, obviously) and another mortal woman.  So Jezzy is ¼ dragon god.  Is this too complicated?  It does get explained later because she doesn't know it either.  Your other question, well, I don't rightly know.  I apologize, won't happen again.

**TuRkEy R EvIl- **Thank you!  Review again please?!

**Autophage- **Chapter three wasn't really a chapter.  I'll try to work on literary device, but it's rather difficult for me.  Do you think I should do a little more with personification?  Chapter 2 was a bit hurried; I think I wrote that random bit of idiocy in there because I felt that the reader might want to be introduced to the characters they already know.  Like the leaf shinobi.

**Will **– Thank you.  Come again.

If anyone has any questions, comments, or even flames about this story I encourage you to please, please review.  I would love to make my writing better so constructive criticism is always helpful.


	4. Thoughts of Slightly Confused People

Disclaimer: HAHAHAHA  (ok enough of that….)  I do not own Naruto.  Naruto: thank god!

Thoughts of Confused People

"Yashamaru, this is my friend Je-jeza-Jezzy," 

Jezebel stood in the doorway, blood ran in rivets down her lips and chin.  It dripped down her chest and off the tips of her fingers like small rivers.  It stained her black dress even darker, but soon that would dry and the dress would appear as faded as it always looked.  She lifted a stained hand to her face and attempted to wipe away the sticky liquid, but only succeeded in smudging it all over her cheeks.

Gaara stared, confused.  Jezzy seemed so happy now.  But it wasn't right…  No, it wasn't.  Yashamaru told him, blood meant pain, pain meant hurt, and hurt was bad.  But how could someone who looked so happy be hurting?  Was it wrong to be happy if it hurt someone?  That was it, Jezzy hurt someone.  This Jezzy, she wouldn't want to play with him…

Yashamaru's hands shook.  He wanted to regain his control, if only his legs would stop shaking.  His hand drifted to his shuriken holster.

"Temari, Temari, go to your room," he croaked.  She nodded.  Suddenly the silence snapped.  Yashsamaru moved lightening fast, but not fast enough.  Temari couldn't see more then rush of movement.  

Gaara saw, he didn't want this, no, not at all.  He pressed his face into the fuzzy bear.  The problem was he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted right now.  He knew he wanted to be like the boys at the academy. Like Kankuro.  Jealousy burned within him.

"Stop," whispered Gaara.  Yashamaru froze in motion.  Jezzy has grabbed his shuriken hand; she bent it around behind him and poked it into the back of his neck.  Yashamaru's eyes went wide with surprise and with the feeling of pulsating chakra that felt to powerful to be real.  He gulped, but here it was, emitting off of a teenage girl that had walked into his front hallway, plain as day.

Jezzy caught sight of the mirror.

"I know I look unpresentable, but the way you acted, that was just ridiculous,"

"Stop," said Gaara again.  Jezzy looked at him, and then at Yashamaru, whose legs were shaking.

"I wasn't here to kill you, I've already eaten," Jezzy stated, matter of factly.  "Gaara invited me over,"   Jezzy released Yashamaru, who scrambled away to nurse his injured dignity.  Temari breathed again.

"Gaara, please explain yourself," Gaara explained

"I met Jezzy on a walk, she hurted, I think….  I told her you could help.  But she needs clothes too,"

Yashamaru nodded slowly.  

"Ok, we'll get Jezzy cleaned up,"

"Jezzy you can stay!"  Gaara's thin lips slid into a smile.  Jezzy nodded, she leaned against the wall, suddenly weak and drained.  She felt nauseous; her chakra slid away like water through a skive.  And if anything scared her, it was that.  Her chakra being beyond her control.  She couldn't pull it back.  Her side throbbed again.

"Temari, I'm going to make some coffee…  expresso…" Yashamaru poked the little girl forward.  "Take Jezzy to the bathroom," Temari nodded mutely.

"Come on then,"

Water felt good.  It washed the drying blood from her skin and hair.  It relaxed her and made her feel normal again, and with that feeling came curiosity.    Temari sat by the tub and helped.

"Tell me about your family kid.  What's it like?"  The idea of being so emotionally bound to people disgusted her.  Jezebel had never been inside someone private house before, not that she remembered anyway.  She assumed someone must have given her that dress thought.  

"Well," squeaked Temari, she grabbed a fluffy green towel from the linen closet.  "I'm eight.  I have two brothers, Kankuro; you don't know him, and Gaara.  Is Gaara your friend?  Because he doesn't have any friends," 

_Author_: _Thinking of Gollum, "you don't have any friends…  Nobody likes you…!_  

"No, we just met,"

"Oh," Temari started out babbling from nervousness, but now she had settled into the "handmaiden mode".  "Anyway, we live with our uncle Yashamaru and Daddy.  Daddy is a Kazekage. "

"Aha…  That was a boy?  I had myself convinced he was a woman," Jezzy rose from the tub, leaving a pink puddle behind, and dried herself.  "Run and get my clothes, girl," Temari did as she was told.  Five minutes later she came back with a large forest green kimono.

"Where's my dress?"

"Yashamaru said the one you were wearing was inappropriate.  He found mommies pregnancy kimono in his closet.  It's so pretty,"  Temari fingered the green silk.  "Anyway, he said to come out when you're decent,"

Jezzy wandered into the kitchen ten minutes later.  Her damp hair hung in a frizzy wave down her back.  Temari had clumsily tied the pink obi into a knot.  Temari slipped through the doorway behind Jezzy.  She marched over to the stove and began dishing out a disgusting smelling dinner.  _Probably vegetables and the like_, thought Jezzy.

A cup of cold black coffee and Gaara sat at the table.

"Hold still, Kankuro!"  A little boy, dressed in black, twisted to get free of Yashamaru's vice grip.  The boy winced repeatedly.  "This… Is why…  We don't throw… cactuses at people!"  Yashamaru seethed.

Blood ran freely from the little boy's hand.  Almost a dozen steely looking spikes stuck out of it.  Yashamaru painstakingly tied to pluck these out of raw puffy skin.  It would have been an easy task, if only Kankuro would stop wriggling.

"But he insulted Gaara and our family!  I only threw it at him!"   Heat rose in Jezebel's stomach at the sight of warm blood.  She pushed the feeling away.  After all she had just eaten.  Women should watch their weight.  Kankuro was weird, Jezebel decided.  Something was happening, but she could quite put her nail through what.

"Yeah," Temari added.  "I bet he has more pins in him then Kankuro.  My brother has good aim!"

The boy's tattooed face contorted in PAIN!  That was it…. Pain, he must be having pain.  Now she understood.  

Then Kankuro noticed Jezzy.  He froze (Yashamaru seized the instant and plucked out the rest of the darts).  This boy seemed more curious then afraid.

"Kankuro, that is my friend Jezzy.  Jezzy that is my big brother Kankuro.  He's usually louder," Gaara introduced them.  Kankuro nodded solemnly and made a mental note to stay away from this girl who made him think of an older Gaara.

"You're done Kankuro.  Go eat, and don't wreck that bandage," said Yashamaru.  Temari handed plates of food to the boys.  Then the three of them sat down at the label, legs dangling above the floor.

"Your turn?" asked Yashamaru tentatively.  "That is…  If you still want to..,"

"No, I do, I wouldn't have stayed otherwise," she rubbed her left side.

"What hurts?"

"I hoped you could tell me,"

"Um….  Well…"  Yashamaru's cheeks turned pink.  Gaara watched with interest.  

"He wants you to take off your clothes," Gaara explained.  "He needs to see your body," Yashamaru's cheeks darkened.

"Oh, well, if it's that you wanted you could have just said so, dunce," Jezzy untied her obi; the kimono flopped to her feet.  She kicked it aside.  Yashamaru blushed crimson at this supreme lack of modesty and looked away.  The children watched unabashed.  "Well, my patience is rather limited, the only reason you aren't dead yet is because Gaara said you could help me," The man gulped.  He lifted his eyes to her body.

The first thing that caught his eye was a large purple bruise.  Huge as bruises go.  It spread from just below her left breast to her hip.  Jezzy winced when she moved it.

"Don't move please," Jezzy nodded.  Gently Yashamaru placed his hands on her side.  She backed up like a frightened horse.  Human touch was unheard of!  "Please hold still.  I'm trying to figure out what this is from."  The man explained.  Absorbed in the work some of the color receded from his cheeks.  Yashamaru ran his fingers over her stomach.

"This is from a jutsu, miss.  Did you tangle with someone?"

"Yes, and he'll be dead next time I see him.  Just do what you have to do," 

A quick smile graced Yashamaru's face.  So, there existed someone who could face off with this chakra monster and live to tell the tale.  Yashamaru poured his chakra into his hands.  "Tell me how this feels,"

"Sharp, like lightening!  AUG!"   

"It's alright,"

"What is this?!"  Her face contorted as he pushed down on a particularly tender spot.  Yashamaru did a double take.  _She's like Gaara, the bruise is not as bad as it looks but it hurts her as much as slamming into a brick wall hurts me, because she's never felt pain!  _  

"Do you mean to say you do not know what pain is?"

"I did not say that!" Jezzy roared.  So it was pain, Jezzy was feeling pain, she chided herself for being idiot enough to get hurt in the first place.  The thought repulsed her as well as intensified her hate for Watcher.

A cool feeling, like water settled through the purple marks, the color lightened.  Yashamaru shook out his hands.

"You can put the kimono back on now," Jezzy retrieved it and slid it over her shoulders.  

CRASH!  Temari dropped a dish in the sink.  It shattered.  

"She can't just wear that," the girl protested.

"Temari!  Don't drop dishes!"  Yashamaru slapped a hand to his forehead.  He ran over to clean up the shattered glass.

"And why not?  Suppose I kill you and go out like this anyway?"  Jezzy taunted.  Temari's mouth snapped shut.

"Don't kill her Jezzy, she's my family," Gaara spoke softly, but the words came through loud and clear.  Jezzy glowered for a moment.  Then she swept from the room, the tension that had been building went with her.

Yashamaru collapsed into a chair, a glass covered rag swinging from his hand.

"Temari, go find your mothers clothes.  Jezebel needs as bra, panties, and probably a brush as well…  If someone could convince her to put them on.  Oh, and shoes.  Here's the key," Yashamaru handed Temari a large brass key to a room that had been closed for five years.  Kankuro gaped.  "I'll do the dishes.  Gaara, please go find your friend,"

The room had been locked since Temari was three.  It had been their mother's room.  Temari barely remembered it, Kankuro couldn't at all.

Kankuro padded in first.  His footprints fallowed him across the wooden floor.

"It smells weird in here," he said.  Temari sniffed.

"No, it smells like mother," Sweet, but sickly.  That shut Kankuro up.  

They pulled open draws and closets.  Everywhere little tornadoes of dust fallowed.  Everything remained as it had been five years ago.  Dried rose petals lay scattered about a vase of dead stalks on the nightstand.  The one window, next to the bed had the shades drawn, but through the shades tiny silvers of light made the floating dust shine.  Even Kankuro was enchanted.  It felt like their mother never left, or maybe she went on vacation.

Temari stared at the various trinkets and jewelry that cluttered the two dressers.  Pieces of crystal sparkled when the dim light hit them.  Temari picked up a picture frame and rubbed the dust away.  She couldn't quite make out who was in it, but…

"Ewwww!  Gross!"  Kankuro broke the silence.

"What?!"  Temari dropped the picture, which clacked down on an unsuspecting spider.  Kankuro held up a yellowing, very frilly bra.

"Look what I found!"

"Kankuro!"  Temari slapped the back of his head.  She grabbed the offending object from him and shook it out.  "Be serious,"

"I am," He was being quite reverent as seven year old boys go.  He took a deep breath.  "This is Gaara's fault you know," he whispered.  Temari stared at him.  How had he known?

Just then the door swung open.  Jezebel marched in with Gaara trailing along behind her.

TBC HAHAHA

I want to know about Kankuro.  Does everyone really hate him?  Would you people mind if I put him in the Story much more in the future?

Anyway, here's the usual:  May all reviewers be hailed until they can't stand it any longer.  **A round of muffins for everyone, on me!**

**Naito Kiseki- I cannot believe you keep coming back for more of my senseless drivel, but, if you keep reviewing I'll keep coming back with more.**

**Mandy- **thanks, if u liked it so much though…  do me a favor?  Read past the first chapter.

**DarkWarrior****- thankyou- come again, please!**

If anyone has any questions, comments, or even flames about this story I encourage you to please, please review. I would love to make my writing better so constructive criticism is always helpful.


	5. Empty

Hey there. First and foremost I'd like apologize for not updating. I'm not going to give an excuse, so we can forget about that. But, if you were waiting for this story (not that anyone is, but..) I am truly sorry for making you wait.

I also think I screwed up some of the time frames. For example, Watcher brings Kakashi and Iruka out into the desert about a week and ½ into Jezebel's stay at the Hidden Sand. All of this is happening within that week and four days.

I wanted this chapter to be one of the better ones. It involves too many characters in four different scenarios. So, try to keep them straight (even I have trouble). **Feel free to write whatever you want in your reviews. I take constructive criticism very seriously. It helps, but then again so do good reviews and compliments! **

**Chapter 5**

1 ½ weeks after Jezzy intrudes on the Kazekage's family

Wind Country- somewhere in the desert-

Sunlight shown through Iruka's closed eyes; from somewhere far off he could feel it. But it was hard to wake; sleepiness crept back with the rocking motion of the ground under him. Rocking motion? He breathed deeply, tasting grit on the dry breeze. Warmth soaked through him, lulling him back into the world of dreams. Rocking motion… Since when did his futon rock?

Iruka peeled his eyes open. And shut them immediately when he found himself staring into a barely risen sun. It sat on the horizon like a huge glowing red ball, Iruka glared at it. Last night… It came back to him. _Not a dream then._

For the first time he got a clear view of where he had been sleeping. Squinting, he gazed around him, sat up and leaned on the side of the wagon. The wooden cart, the black horses pulling and the driver's seat where his pack, a coiled black whip rested, and a six pack of beer rested. He had been curled up in fetal position on a few flat wind style carpets. Farther back there was a pyramid of rolled rugs mostly in reds and browns. In fact there seemed to be a carpet rolled into every possible space, until none of the floor showed (except under the driver's seat, where there now rested a keg of something).

Dunes flashed by outside the cart. There was something strange about the speed they passed, but Iruka felt groggy and didn't want to think about it. Everywhere he turned there blew sand, in the wind, on the dunes. The world seemed made of sand and sky. They appeared to be heading straight into the west. Well, at least Watcher hadn't lied; it was Wind Country all right, judging by the wind (ya know?). At least Watcher hasn't lied. Yet, he corrected himself. _What did I get myself into_?

It took Iruka a moment to realize someone else sat in the cart with him. The white-haired boy across from him held so still you couldn't tell where he ended and where the gray rugs he leaned on began. The boy wore a dust-colored, short-sleeved shirt that seemed two sizes to big. It slipped off one shoulder and hung down his chest, like a child wearing their parent's pajamas. His pants were functional, loose and black, but also too big. They were held up by a cord from one of the rug rolls. A tight fitting black mask completed the ensemble. He rested easily, but stock still, against the side of the cart, his arms propped up by bent knees. The boy seemed completely relaxed, but Iruka got the impression of a coiled snake waiting to strike. Iruka noted the tattoo on one of his biceps. Anbu.

The anbu suddenly noticed him watching, or had known the whole time but didn't acknowledge it. He looked up. Iruka gave a visible double take at the sight of one eye with a scar down the middle. This eye whirled in strange red patterns. The brown-haired boy nodded. The silver haired one stuck out a hand.

"Hitake Kakashi,"

"Umino Iruka,"

"Nice name," they lapsed into silence, broken only by the pounding of hooves. Pounding of hooves... The horses were still galloping flat out. How long had they been going on like this? Soldier pills, maybe? Although why anyone would waste a soldier pill on a horse was beyond Iruka. He tried his reasoning on the anbu.

"The horses-,"

"Have not stopped since I woke up. It seems that this is slow for them," Things just kept getting stranger.

"Where's Watcher?"

"Oh, is that the bastard's name?" Kakashi beckoned Iruka over to his side of the cart. Iruka leaned over the edge far enough to glimpse a sinuous figure running next to the horses. "They slowed down so he could run with them," Iruka decided Kakashi was too arrogant. "He's been down there since I started asking questions. I woke up a few hours ago," Kakashi rubbed his fingers across his neck. It hurt where Watcher had touched him the night before. "So," Kakashi added. "How'd he get at you?"

"Get at me?"

"Yeah, he showed up in my apartment, and he…" the Anbu shook his head, adjusting a wrist guard. "We never even fought. He had me before I knew it," I'm_ glad he grabbed my mask though, that and a pair of boxers… And that he has extra clothes, I guess._

"But you're-,"

"Super sexy?" He grinned at Iruka's expression, which teetered between laughter and tears. "I know, an Anbu, right? I don't think that mattered to him. Just watching him though, I don't think any currant anbu could stop him," He sounded as though he was trying to convince himself as well as Iruka.

"Oh," The chunin suddenly felt inadequate. He had never so much as talked with an anbu. They were powerful, legendary even. Every child wanted to be an Anbu. And Kakashi, he was still young enough to _be _that child. Iruka hadn't passed until 15.

"So, how'd Watcher get you?" Kakashi repeated.

"I came willingly…" Iruka frowned.

"Pushover," Kakashi joked, Iruka's face reddened. "I wonder why he wanted you. Us! I mean, I wonder why he wanted us," Kakashi had the grace to look abashed; he made an attempt to cover it by shifting a hand over his eyes. (_Note: it's because of the differences in their abilities) _"Do you have food in that pack?"

Iruka rolled his eyes and glanced at the olive green pack. Of course, the bloody anbu was kidnapped. In his boxers, no less.

"No, he told me I wouldn't need it,"

"So you just trusted him?" Kakashi felt a bit slighted. A man who could be at least sixty, maybe seventy had beaten him without a fight. And he wondered how much talking the Watcher could stand. So far it had only been, "The weather in Konohagakure has not changed in years," or "Sorry I only grabbed a mask from your room, kid," whenever Kakashi asked a question. The 18-year-old anbu wondered if, in a head on fight, he would be able to beat Watcher. The answer he looked for wouldn't come.

"What else do you know," he asked Iruka.

"We're going to meet a dragon,"

"That's not funny, truth this time please," Kakashi laughed, but the expression never touched his eyes. Iruka felt bad for Kakashi, but not as bad as he felt for himself.

"That's what Watcher told me. We're going to meet a dragon," Then the watcher's voice sounded. It carried back to them on the wind.

"We'll be there in about an hour boys!"

_Be where?_ Their thoughts were nearly identical.

Konohagakure

Maito Gai stood inside the mess that should have been Kakashi's room. It was a mountains region with rumpled clothes, shuriken, peeling posters, and books. Gai unconsciously kicked an unopened box of condoms under the bed. He ran a hand through his black hair, yup; this room had Kakashi written in upper case letters all over it.

The only problem? Kakashi wasn't in it; neither was his blood, or any other signs of a fight. When the laid back anbu had missed a meeting with the rest of his squad that morning, Gai was sent over to see why. When he went the first time Kakashi wasn't there either. Now he came back to puzzle over the disappearance of his rival. The door swung open for him, unlocked. Leaving the door open? That was uncharacteristic of any ninja.

Gai walked another slow circuit around Kakashi's room. He caught sight of himself in the large circular mirror coated with pictures and sayings (_practice makes perfect, _the hot girl on the cover of Come Come Paradise, a picture of the time a pair of drunk women tried to molest Kakashi, _hope for the best prepare for the worst, _and _one by one the penguins are stealing my sanity)_, taped up so thickly that there was only a small circle of glass visible. Gai sniffed at Kakashi's taste, but stopped to admire his pudding bowl haircut in the mirror. Oh, what a lovely smile! _Ping_!

Gai sighed. The only thing he found out was that Kakashi probably left suddenly, and before the anbu squad meeting. And if Gai knew his rival, he knew that Kakashi would never miss it (even if he would be a good hour late). He wandered away, musing.

Summer made Konohagakure as hot as a bake oven. Gai stepped out from under the awning in front of Kakashi's apartment onto the road. A pair of female genin sprinted past laughing, but they seemed to be the only ones other than Gai who were moving at faster than a crawl down the tree lined street. Everyone else drifted languidly from place to place hoping for a working air conditioner. Everyone except for the chunin that suddenly tapped Gai's shoulder.

Gai turned. He had been caught up in his thoughts, which consisted mainly of _Kakashi is my rival, not my friend. Who cares that he's disappeared. Certainty not you! If he never comes back, you'll never have to fight with anyone. Not that that would be a bad thing…_

The female chunin barely waited for Gai's acknowledgement before rushing into her message.

"Urgent! Hokage has ordered a meeting at the stone monuments. You have ten minutes to get there," Then the chunin leapt away.

Gai unconsciously sped his pace up from a trot to a run. He had to go home now if he was going to get to the statues on time. Anyone who saw him now would only glimpse a green blur.

Ten minutes later:

Under the tall stone monuments stood a few select chunins, two Anbu squads dressed in long black cloaks and masks, but mostly jounins. Gar stood with his anbu squad waiting patiently. The groups stood a little apart from each other. An air of slight apprehension had settled over the group.

It was too hot for black cloaks and masks. Gai started to sweat under his. Some others looked a bit uncomfortable as well.

Morino Ibiki shaded his eyes as he waited for a few stragglers to arrive. He stood directly under the gigantic carving of the third Hokage, where the Hokage would normally stand. When he was ready, he made a point of glaring at the rabble until the scattered whispering quieted. They did so almost immediately. Ibiki gave Gai's Anbu squad a subtle nod. A man in a crocodile mask and a woman with that of a wolf darted away. Gai watched them go. A man in a frog mask, Genma, nudged Gai's attention back to Ibiki. Behind the bird that hid his face, Gai waited. Why were anbu squads here? Two of them. When all the whispers were quiet, Ibiki got straight to the point.

"One among our number is missing!" Mutters broke out like plague. "Hitake Kakashi disappeared some time last night," The whispers spread like wild fire. "If you have any information please inform me or the Hokage immediately. Now, does anyone know anything?" Everyone looked at someone else. "I thought as much," continued Ibiki.

Someone seemed to think it undignified for an Anbu to be taken alive.

"How do you know he's not just out training somewhere?" an anonymous voice called. Ibiki intensified his glare. He didn't get the respected of a Hokage, but speaking in place of one merited some respect.

"It's not your place to ask questions Ebisu, this has already been decided by the village counsel. But, if you must know it is because he brought nothing with him,"

"Kakashi is a technician," Suddenly the day seemed much cooler. "He doesn't need anything," said a chunin. Ibiki exploded. Gai decided maybe they needed a more patient squad leader.

"Look down! When was the last time any of you left home without your shuriken holsters?!" Guilty looks passed between the gathered ninjas. Gai took a moment to wonder how any of the people questioning Ibiki got to the jounin level. Impatience in him grew, he would say something to make these people shut up and listen to a lowly squad leader. Gai wanted to hear the rest of the message. _I will not be rash, I will not be rash, Kakashi is rash, and I will not be like him._ Apparently someone else was also anxious to hear the rest of the message because she began to voice her (very loud) opinion.

"Hey people! Shut the hell up!" Well, Anko repeatedly beat even Kakashi for rashness. But people listened to her. Gai could have said the same thing only much more eloquently. He sniffed and almost told her off. She had been standing right next to him in her black cloak and monkey mask.

Anko had just ruined the fast that Anbu are supposed to be anonymous. Now everyone knew one of them was Anko. She shook her head, cheeks coloring slightly at her outburst. Ibiki saw the opening and jumped in.

"We have reason to believe the Hidden Sand is behind this!" he roared. Dead silence descended, a hot breeze ruffled the limbs of the trees. The universal thought was almost tangible. _The Sand, infiltrating Konohagakure?_It was impossible, thought Gai, but unfortunately, that usually meant someone had figured out how to do it. Ibiki continued in a slower, calmer tone. "We believe this for two reasons," Ibiki raised a finger. "One-,"

"Because relations with the sand suck!" yelled Anko into Gai's ear. He winced. The twenty-one year old anbu was obnoxious, usurping her commander's authority like that. The crowd of people stared at the monkey-faced anbu. A member of the squad, Gai, glared at her. _It's true, _she thought. _Why should we mask it?_

"What this _Anbu_ says it true!" Continued Ibiki. He didn't need to say anbu, everyone knew it was Anko. She winced, something in his voice said she was busted. "Someone left last night. There are cart tracks heading west, towards wind country," Ibiki waited for that to sink in. When it did the reaction was exactly what he wanted.

Stunned faces looked back at him. Even Gai hadn't know, _the sand involved? But why? _The village had made peace with the sand after the fox demon was sealed inside the body of that kid. Relations with the sand had never been great but they were becoming increasingly tenuous lightly.

"Any questions?"

"I have one," the red eyed female chunin who gave Gai the message raised a hand. Ibiki nodded acknowledgement. "What does the Sand want with Kakashi?"

"Information," the scared man said simply. To Ibiki information was enough to die for. A few jounins nodded in agreement. The crowd's attention stopped wavering. Now their eyes locked on him, they had started to believe. "My orders come from the 3rd himself! From now on we walk on eggshells. Keep a sharp eye. If our boy doesn't turn up, we're going after him. He has three days. And in three days meet back here at the same time. You'll find your orders ready! Meeting adjourned," Morino Ibiki stepped back and faded into the crowd, leaving the jounins to puzzle out things themselves. His squad left to find him at their designated meeting point, except for Anko who lagged behind in a sort of I'm-in-Trouble kind of way.

**SandVillage: Ninja Administration **

Yashamaru shrugged off a tan jacket just before entering a tall domed multi-storied building, the Ninja Administration. He shivered and then pushed the door open. A wave of heat and light slammed into him. Nights were cold in Wind Country, but mostly it stayed warm indoors. Yashamaru took a few deep breaths, rehearsing a planned speech under his breath.

Before him stretched a curving hallway. The door at the very end was invisible around a corner, but that's where Yashamaru headed, trying to keep his head clear. He needed to be able to control the situation in there, and to do that he needed to keep his head. Now the door stood in front of him. He put his hand on the cool knob and felt the press of the adobe walls surrounding him. Then he pushed the door open.

On the floor were a few small mats for kneeling and two chairs. A wooden desk sat at the far end of the room. Paper work rose in mountains on top of it. The room was completely enclosed with no windows and only two doors. One out the back, an escape route, and the other being the one Yashamaru just came through. On the wooden walls two maps were tacked, one of the continent, and the other an in depth map of Wind Country. On other parts of the wall weaponry shone, gleaming in faint candlelight. The room looked strangely shadowed from gleaming weaponry and warm candlelight. The vibe being sent off felt tired, but peaceful. That was good, usually the atmosphere in the room changed with the Kazekage's mood. Sometimes it felt suffocating.

Yashamaru checked his watch. 11:30, he arrived on time. From behind the piles of paperwork a chair creaked back. Yashamaru bowed down on one of the mats, his forehead touching the dusty floor. He felt a touch on his shoulder and looked up into the haggard face of the Kazekage. Red brown hair framed the man's face. He was young, maybe only in his late thirties but his manner told a different story. The Kazekage was a complicated man, whenever Yashamaru thought he knew him there turned out to be another facet. The man was like an onion. As it was, Yashamaru found himself staring in the face of his sister's killer, husband, and lover, and his nieces and nephew's father. _Gaara's father._

Kazekage drew Yashamaru to his feet grinning; his wide mouth seemed made for smiling. Then he pulled up a chair for himself and another for Yashamaru. Yashamaru noticed dark circles under the mans eyes, but he seemed just as energetic as ever, albeit a bit tired. He hadn't been home in days. Yashamaru had overlooked the futon on the corner of the room.

Someone knocked on the door. Yashamaru rose to answer.

"I'll get it," the Kazekage went to retrieve a pot of steaming black coffee and two mugs from the door. He poured himself a mug and took a large sip, letting it burn. Yashamaru suddenly realized that as tired as he was, if must be nothing next to what the Kazekage felt, but he did sip his coffee.

It had been a rousing night of Find the Kankuro and Put Him to Bed. Of course he had been hidden (in a clothes hamper, no less), and then went to bed as loudly as possible with Temari tutting at him like an angry mother hen.

"Tell me of my children. I want to hear about them," this made Yashamaru smile. He told Kazekage about the night's adventures, and then expanded.

"Temari is well; she still holds the top slot in her academy class. Her ninjutsu is excellent. She takes care of the boys as if she were their mother,"

"And the boys? Tell me of them,"

"Well, Kankuro…." The Kazekage raised an eyebrow as Yashamaru recounted the cactus-throwing incident. He even laughed a bit when Yashamaru explained Kankuro's excuse. "So anyway, his hand is healing nicely. Although what possessed him is beyond me,"

"I did things like that when I was younger," the Kazekage took a sip of coffee. "He's got much the same pride in himself that I did," Yashamaru doubted whether Kazekage ever actually lost that pride, but kept silent.

"His ninjutsu is suffering though. He can manipulate chakra with the ease of someone twice his age, but refuses to do so. He's always singing or humming. His mind is constantly in drama and performance, dancing even. It's killing his concentration. But then again I think it's also killing his sanity," The older man laughed, mulling this over. "So this is nothing new,"

"Perhaps we can channel that energy. He will be strong if it can be channeled. Maybe something that involves theater or voice? But… The academy cannot change its curriculum just for Kankuro. He may have to fight through this himself,"

"Your other son…" Yashamaru continued. Suddenly the Kazekage dropped his head into his hands, he rubbing fingers over his eyes.

"Gods I wish I could be there for them. I don't even know who they are anymore," he rubbed his temples. "Gaara, how is he?" Worry clouded the man's dark eyes.

"He's gotten quieter, more submissive almost. It's like he's stopped trying to be like Temari and Kankuro…" This was the moment Yashamaru had been waiting for. Gaara asked him to keep Jezzy a secret, but which was more important? Jezzy and Gaara or the village? Jezzy murdered. Yashamaru would stake his life on it. And he felt that Jezzy went a lot farther than just killing. On the whole, he surprised himself by keeping Gaara's secret even this long. He closed his eyes and sucked in more coffee. "I believe Gaara may be connected to the disappearances, not directly per say, but-,"

There was another knock on the door.

"Come in," said Kazekage tiredly. Baki shut the door behind him, his tattooed face twisting into a sour frown. The Anbu captain bowed slightly to Kazekage and nodded at Yashamaru, then he plunged waist high into his message.

"Kazekage-sama there's been another murder. Another two murders. One body looks eaten, as if an animal… The type of death, it's familiar" Kazekage blinked slowly.

"Tell me who was killed," He said it as if it hurt to speak those words.

"A genin sir, someone recognized a personal item," Baki held up a small gold chain. On the end hung a tiny butterfly clotted with blood. Kazekage took it, rubbing his hands over it until it seemed reality was lost to him. Sighing he tucked it into a pocket. He'd have to bring that back to the little girl's parents.

"Who else?"

"And a chunin, sir, neck snapped. His hair was torn out and fingernails sliced off, but the body was identifiable. Nothing compared to what happened to the genin. The genin, I could swear she was eaten…" Baki let the sentence drop. Of the three Baki looked guilty for saying so much, Yashamaru felt sick and Kazekage just stared, eyes wide open, deep in thought. Finally the sand shinobi nodded.

"In the last four years unexplained deaths in this country have risen 10%. The Hidden Sand gets blamed for this. Either for not protecting the people or for committing the murders. The deaths of our own shinobi have risen 5%. In that last week and ½ there have been ten deaths within the village itself. I have a feeling these two ratios are directly connected," When Kazekage got a feeling about something it usually turned out to be right.

"If the ruling counsel of Wind Country decides the hidden Sand have been killing their people, they'll turn on us," interrupted Baki. "We hold a very precarious position. This could destroy us, patrons will stop coming. They'll go to a different village!" Kazekage raised a silencing hand.

"Tell me Yashamaru, how is my youngest son indirectly connected to all of this?" Yashamaru took a deep breath, upper lip curling at the thought of Gaara being someone's _son_, and began to relate the events of the past week. Both men listened attentively.

"And you believe a girl is the source of this madness?" Baki scoffed.

"Have you not felt her chakra? It roars louder than a forest fire!" Yashamaru pleaded. How could they doubt him?

"Yashamaru, you are not an assassin, nor are you a politician, you are a medical Nin. Do not pretend you know what you speak of," Yashamaru's face colored. "We have felt strong chakra, yes, but then it all but disappears, like a doused flame. Who's to say it is not something else? Something that disappears into the night when it's done?"

The Kazekage listened silently to Baki and Yashamaru argue, then he shook his head pointedly.

"Baki is right on one account, Yashamaru, you are not a politician. You are asking me to risk my village on a whim," Yashamaru's eyes narrowed. He couldn't believe this! It took all of his will power to keep his mouth from dropping open. "To hunt this thing, whatever it may be would take both anbu and jounin teams. That's more then we cane spare-,"

"But if we don't do something we'll be even shorter staffed!" Yashamaru leaped to his feet. The coffee cup crashed to the floor, dark liquid spilled like blood across the floor. It seeped into the tatami mats like blood seeps into sand. The Kazekage finally raised his voice.

"You think I haven't felt this! I know what we are up against! It would be like going up against the three legendary ninjas at once when this thing is at full strength!" Yashamaru made a visible effort to calm his words.

"Kazekage-sama, something must be done-,"

"Something will be done, Yashamaru, you have two choices. If at the end of this week there are more bodies added to this list we will investigate your story extensively," Yashamaru gave a small smile. This was Kazekage lingo for, you were right Yashamaru. "Or you can make it much simpler and find us proof," Baki made a move to interrupt. "It doesn't matter what we're after, but I will not leave the village chasing one dragon while another one waits within," Yashamaru nodded, understanding.

Baki mulled this over. On one hand there rested one chakra monster, a girl who had been staying in the village, an easy target, and on the other hand an anonymous nobody with demonic feeling chakra that appeared and disappeared completely. Could this thing mask itself to make it undetectable? It was possible. But then something even more troubling occurred to Baki, maybe Yashamaru was right. Could the two be one and the same? The thought made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The bitch could be picking off the hidden sand. One by one, by one…

"If by Saturday there are more deaths we will consider chasing this girl, Yashamaru," continued the Kazekage. "Until then, keep her safe at home," Yashamaru laughed weakly.

"No need no worry about that Kazekage-sama. After all, she has only been hurt once,"

**Earlier that evening**- after Catch the Kankuro and Put him to Bed

Jezebel and Gaara. An odd pairing at best, but for some odd reason (one Jezebel couldn't fathom) Gaara clung to her. Actually, they only spent a maximum of twenty minutes a day with each other, but to Jezzy that meant clinginess. When Jezebel went hunting Gaara came with her. He watched silently while her prey had a series of accidents. Afterwards, when she dragged the corpse outside the village walls, he offered to help. The little bastard actually seemed to like her. And, as a plus, she actually started talking a bit. Conversation was not a strong point in either of them.

Gaara told her she was wrong. He was right and she was wrong. The humans were right and she was wrong. The last bit he let slip. Everything she was, had been, and had loved. It was all wrong according to Gaara. Jezzy wondered if he could bullshit his way through his whole life like that. Telling people off and calling them inhuman when he acted like her. She heard people call her things, and she'd heard them call Gaara things as well.

She pondered this one night in the guest room of Gaara's house. Jezebel sat propped up in a bed with fresh pillows, her knees pulled up to her chest, wearing absolutely nothing. She slept in a bed. A bed! The sheets smelled faintly of roses, sickening. Things were clean in this room, clean and white, from the walls to the chests, to the rug on the floor. Jezebel took it all in by moonlight. The moon created soft beams across the patchwork quilt through an open window. Jezzy didn't need it though, her night vision was fine.

She felt sick. That was the only way to describe it. The feeling of weakness that wouldn't go away. It faded in and out, like breathing. One minute she could control a wave of fire… And the next not even her knees. With the weakness came a different sensation, something more tangible. Emptiness, it felt like a vacuum that all the chakra in the world could not fill. And it lingered on after the weak spells past. It even stayed when she gathered all of her chakra inside of her to fill the empty pit. It felt like hunger, Jezzy decided. Hunger for what? Power? Like she needed more of that. She had it all.

And another thing. How could people ever let themselves get close to each other? It eternally annoyed her listening to Yashamaru tell his charges bedtime stories. Of course, he did not know she listened, sitting on the windowsill outside the boy's bedroom.

Jezebel knew. You could not let yourself get close to anyone. Not only would they betray each other but also, (Jezebel knew from personal experience) that when hunger threatened the other person could always be eaten (though apparently that might count as a sort of betrayal as well). The unity in Gaara's family made her skin crawl. Gaara made her fingers itch. This village made her sick. Once she had seen victims of plague. Their faces were drawn and shrunken from malnourishment. They cried out to her for help even as she ate their fallen comrades. She thought that she felt the way they looked. Empty.

Her face twisted into a snarl as the covers flew to the foot of the twin bed. Her mental rant continued, reasoning her way through what she saw. And she saw much even when people shied away in the streets. How she interpreted it... That was another matter altogether.

The feeling of security in the village unnerved her. She had been secure wherever she went, but inside the Hidden Sand she felt stifled, like the times she tripped into a pond and choked on disease ridden water. Stifled, empty, hatred, pain, hunger, power, weakness, healing. New words for new times, Jezzy decided. She stayed because here prey was plentiful. Here, there was healing if Watcher ever came back. Here, there lived Gaara.

Not that Watcher would come back, she knew. No one in his or her right mind would ever come after her. When she felt ready she would come to him and politely rip his bloody head off.

Someone knocked at the bedroom door.

"Come in," Jezzy schooled her face to a smile. The door swung open and Gaara peered in. Small black lined eyes saw the covers at the foot f the bed and pulled them up. Jezzy waited for him to say what he wanted. He always wanted something.

"You don't look happy," Gaara remarked. Jezzy sighed.

"Maybe I'm not. Did you expect me to be?"

"Why?" Jezzy pulled the little boy up onto the foot of the bed. _She touched me! Why?!_ Gaara stretched out, sticking small-socked feet off the end of the bed. He rested his head in his hands facing Jezzy with the bear tucked under his elbow. Jezzy mirrored his position, only her bare feet rested on the headboard.

"How should I know?" Jezzy asked. Gaara shrugged, he didn't know either. "It feels… not like hurt," Gaara's logic told him that if it didn't hurt Yashamaru couldn't heal it. So what was Jezzy talking about? "Can you hurt without bleeding? Like bleed inside?"

"Yashamaru told me even bruises bleed, but I've never had one," said Gaara. "So does it hurt, or not?" They faced each other almost nose to nose. Gaara's eyes widened at the prospect of being so close to someone. Jezzy leaned forward slightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"No," she said, retreating to her pillow. "It feels empty," Gaara's finger leapt to his cheek, warmth radiated from the spot. Gaara could feel his face flushing. Every night he watched Yashamaru kiss Temari and Kankuro good night. Now he could tell them he got a kiss goodnight too. He felt like a real sibling now. Then Gaara had another thought; the brief smile flitted from his face.

Jezzy said she felt empty every time someone else from the village disappeared. So did the people that found the bodies, Gaara listened, he knew. They always said that they felt empty, sad and empty as well.

Suddenly Jezzy sat up, her eyes narrowed. She looked at Gaara as thought seeing him there for the first time. Gaara ducked his head. He had to say something quick. She would ask him what he wanted again.

"Will you play with me?" A low hissing sound filed the room. Jezebel exploded and leaped, but instead of going for Gaara she grabbed his bear. Gaara would do anything for this bear, which was what family did. You would do anything for the people attached to you.

"No, Jezzy!" Gaara cried, lunging for his stuffed animal. A loud ripping sound filled the room and the bear's body flew back to Gaara. Jezzy now sat across the bed from Gaara holding the fluffy head of Snookums. She stared at it, then methodically began to pick out bits of stuffing. Gaara's throat felt tight.

"No, why would I ever play with you? You never play with me," Desire to rip quenched, Jezzy calmly handed the half empty head back to Gaara. The little boy swallowed hard, suddenly his insides felt tight. He hugged the severed head to his chest, small fingers searching for bits of fluff in the dark. Jezzy's eyes shone clear. The pupils were tiny and circular; they looked a bit like those of a predator.

"Help me, Jezzy," His hands searched around the comforter but did not come close to Jezebel.

Gaara looked at her with an unreadable expression, to Jezebel anyway. Anyone could have said it was the way a child looked when they get scared or confused. Gaara blinked at her slowly.

"There," Gaara buried his nose in Snookums severed neck. "Now I feel empty too,"

Special Thanks to all people who reviewed is holding a tray of muffins! Take one please!

**Esachasa**- Thanks for the award! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Compliments, I love them!

**DarkWarrior**- I'm glad you like the story! I aim to please. Hangs head- I didn't update in forever though

**Nenya of Rivendell-** Well…. Thanks for your review! Hope you didn't get in trouble for taking to long.

**Naito Kiseki- **Here's your update. I hope you're happy with this. It's nowhere near the level I want, but I really tried to do well with this chapter. You've been very supportive.

**Thanks guys!**

"There," Gaara buried his nose in Snookums severed neck. "Now I feel empty too,"

-BTR


	6. Monster

**Feel free to write whatever you want in your reviews. I take constructive criticism very seriously. It helps, but then again so do good reviews and compliments!   I don't mind flames.  **I'd also like to thank anyone who reviewed previously (and if you're one of those people that reads past reviews, no.  I did not review my own story.  My brother did without signing me off).

**Chapter 6: **Monster****

**Konohagakure- (three days after the terrorizing of Snookums) Inner Sanctum of the Ninja Administration (****9 AM****)**

The war room felt stifling to Ibiki.  There were too many people packed into the little circular map room.   Sun shown through the windows and red curtains giving the room a dull reddish cast.  The walls were covered in maps.  At the far end of the room sat an empty desk, much like those used by teachers.  Behind that stood a door, opening into the depths of the Hokage's office.  Ibiki waited patiently in front of the desk.  He mentally tallied the amount of people in the room.  The most prominent stood in the front  descending to the few lower jounins in attendance near the back wall.  Too many people, and only two windows.

A pair of female chunins, one with striking red eyes, moved a large oval table into the center of the room.  Those around got pressed into the walls.  Ibiki claimed a spot next to it. On the great mahogany structure someone had drawn a detailed map of the world.  Red pins marked specific places of interest.  There were two, one pin on the Hidden Leaf and the other on the Hidden Sand.  Ibiki noted that the distance between the two points was plotted exactly.

The air in the room went from silent to terse and silent.  The Third angled for complete attention from everyone; he would wait until he knew no one's thoughts were wandering before he spoke.  Not yet a technique Ibiki had mastered.  When all attention focused on him the Third brought a scroll out from a draw.  By the time he did this every movement could be heard.  Hokage walked forward, a path cleared respectfully before him.  He stopped in front of the table between Ibiki and a woman Ibiki didn't know.  Sarutobi unrolled the scroll.  It bore the sigil of the Hidden Sand, an hourglass, in red wax on the back.  Wetting his lips Hokage began the read slowly.

_To Sandaime or whom it may concern,_

_We have become aware of a problem that has arisen in The Country of Winds.  The rate of unexplained disappearances has risen significantly in the last four years; most of these have taken place near the border of Fire Country.  This is unacceptable.  We humbly request that you, if this unknown culprit has to do with the leaf (whether it be anbu, genin, or S-class criminal), eliminate the problem._

_If, however, the Leaf appears not to be involved we ask your help in ridding our country of this menace.  For your trouble, we have something you may want._

_                                    Respectfully,_

_                                                Kazekage of the Hidden Sand_

Fallowing the signature were two seals, one was the Kazekage's personal crest (a cross with snake heads for points) and the other was the Sand's hourglass.  The third waited a moment for the substance in the letter to sink in.  You could defiantly tell when it did because chatter broke out in a wave.  Ibiki frowned, deep in thought.  Voices flew around him.

""Maybe they're afraid we'll take their business-,"

"What could the Sand possibly have that we-,"

"The timing of-,"

"The Kazekage must be very worried-,"

"Maybe they do have Kakashi-," That was Gai.  Ibiki shook his head.  _Sure they hated each other._

"Didja hear?  There's a chunin missing too!" 

Hokage raised his hands for silence.  Ibiki grunted.  People listened ten times faster to the Hokage then they did to him (with the possible exception of his squad).

"It appears that the sand has an unknown enemy," Sarutobi announced.  He handed the open scroll to Ibiki.  "What do you make of this?"  Ibiki scanned it again, this time reading between the lines.  And there were many lines to read between. 

"He's nervous.  Almost desperate, he's being pushed by sides, I don't know how many, but we are one of those sides.  This unknown force is another side,"  Ibiki held the scroll open on the table.  "They say they have something we want.  There could be several possibilities-," (_note: other possibilities include information, political maneuvering, ect)._

_"_They have Kakashi!"  BANG!  Anko slammed her fist down on the mahogany table, making the scroll snap shut on Ibiki's finger.  Anko's cheeks flooded crimson.  Everyone, _everyone_ was staring at her.  Anko looked at her sandaled feet; suddenly she wished they would disappear, taking the rest of her with them.  _I just wanted to say what everyone is thinking!  This is it.  _She glanced up from her place near the far end of the table, she avoided eyes, then looked back down.  _He's going to ask me to leave.  He's not going to let me stay with my squad.  _She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for biting words.

"Anko, please leave the room.  You will be notified when your presence is required," The Third's voice displayed no sign of emotion.

Anko gulped, her face burned with shame.  She had just completely embarrassed her squad and herself.  Anko glanced at Ibiki.  He nodded icily.  She could almost feel Gai's disappointment from next to her.  Anko had no choice but to leave.  Holding her head high, she stalked out of the room, not hesitating to slam the door behind her.  _Just because I have the courage to say what everyone else is thinking._

Ibiki sighed inwardly.  There was something in Anko's favor.  She is loyal.  At age 19 the spiky haired girl had already been through hell.  She was strong.  Strong enough for the legendary Orochimaru to notice her.  She had been sucked up, chewed and spat back out by him a few years ago.  People still had trouble trusting her.  Ibiki ground his teeth. 

Anko had been sent out because of that.  Her big mouth just gave Sarutobi an excuse to please the general population.  They wouldn't trust Anko to listen to the discussion.  Oddly enough Ibiki would trust her with his life and that of his squad as well.  At least _they _knew she was loyal.  In his 23 years he had never met anyone who was more of a walking disaster then Anko.

The babble of talk continued as soon as Anko exited.  This time it held a more relaxed tone.  Gai caught Genma's eye from where hey stood near the left wall.  Genma rolled his eyes.

"There's Anko for you," he mouthed.  Another jounin, a woman named Dev held up the scroll.  Her bland face filled with purpose.

"How many of you believe the Sand is holding Kakashi?"  Gai slowly raised a green gloved hand, nearly the entire room fallowed suit.

The Hokage sighed.  He pressed his fingers  so hard against the table they turned white.  Then he looked at the captains, both Anbu and jounin.  _I hoped it wouldn't go this far..._

"Tell your squads to get ready.  We're going to get our boy back.  This must be a small force, but a powerful one.  We have two possible enemies, the Sand's nameless fear, and the sand themselves.  You leave tonight under cover of darkness,"

The captains began to work out logistics.  They loudly debated the amount of people needed, the estimated strength of the sand, the death rate in wind country (statistics showed the sand were not lying when they said they needed help), food needed, and other things.

Meanwhile Anko seethed outside.  _How could they throw me out like that!?  You've got to keep your mouth shut.  Screw you!  I'm you, you idiot.  _Arguing with herself accomplished nothing.  Anko had _closed_ the door behind her and _walked _straight into a chunin.

"What are you doing?!"

"Please don't tell them I was out here!" the red-eyed woman whispered frantically.

"I won't…"  Anko suddenly smiled.  "What's your name?"

"Yuuhi Kurenai.  I work the administration, but I was curious," 

"No problem.  Just as long as I get to listen with you," 

"You got kicked out, didn't you?  Big mouth I bet," the older girl teased.

"You _were_ listening.  Now move over," the two of them pressed their ears to the heavy wooden door, jockeying for the keyhole position.  Anko won the keyhole, Kurenai was regulated to the crack under the door.  Anko decided she liked the older chunin.  Maybe they could spar together when everyone else was off getting Kakashi back.  How depressing.

The meeting wound down after a good two hours of arguing.  Finally Sarutobi dismissed the participants after hearing their plans in full (about four times) and adding his own ideas.  They were about to file out.

"Morino," Ibiki stopped dead on his way, to the door.  "I would speak with you," The Anbu made his way across the crowded room and fallowed Hokage through a door behind the desk into a private study.  The worsened in there.  It looked like a mini version of the room they just came from.  A map hung on the wall behind a wooden desk with pens and papers strewn across the top.  In front of the desk rested a single whicker chair.

"Sit," Sarutobi gestured to the chair.  He walked around the desk to flop down in his own.  Ibiki sat as well, but with a more reserved air.  "How are your hands?"  Ibiki twisted black gloved fingers.  They hadn't burned in years.  Ibiki couldn't even remember what it felt like to have fingernails.  But that was beside the point.  Idle conversation?  He thought not.

"They're fine at least.  And my headaches are not from injury.  But you didn't call me in here to ask about the state of my hands," The Hokage smiled wryly.

"You know me too well, Ibiki I'm putting you in charge of this mission.  You'll have squads at your disposal and enough fire power to pack a punch if need be, but you know all that," Ibiki nodded.  "You've been a captain the longest.  I trust you,"" Ibiki almost took his leadership for granted.  It was just something he did.

"You could have told me that in public," In_ public, even with Anko._

"Once again you are right, but my request I cannot voice in public," _Request?_

**"Hey!  What the heck are you two doing!"**

**"Nothing, honest!"**

**"Somebody go get the Hokage!" ** Loud voices carried from outside. 

The two men chuckled.  Anko had been listening.  The door must have opened on her.  When the angry voices subsided the Hokage continued, smiling fondly.

"Anko," Ibiki said.  Sarutobi frowned.

Don't try to read my thoughts buddy.  That's just scary,"

"Well, what do you want me to do?  Leave her behind?  She'll won't listen."  Ibiki sat back.

"No," The Third leaned over his desk, fixing his gaze on the black cloaked Anbu.  Ibiki didn't even flinch, the Hokage shook his head.  When anyone else would have quailed under the gaze, Ibiki's nerves were nonexistent.  A cool head makes a good leader.  Hokage continued.  "I want you to keep her with you,"

"What?"__

"You heard me.  Keep her with you," Ibiki recovered all composure as if he never lost it.

"Why?"

"There is a gigantic force stirring in the west.  I suspect-,"

"Orochimaru,"

"Didn't I tell you not to do that?"

"Do what, Hokage-sama?" Ibiki asked in all innocence.  The Third almost believed him.

"Continuing," he said dryly.  "Anko could be targeted, used as bait...  Well, anyone could be, but especially Anko.  She's good, but not that good,"

"Why put her with me then, there are stronger Anbu in my own squad.  What about Maito Gai?"  _Or Kakashi, if he was here.  Damn him._

"She'd probably kill him, that's just the disaster we're trying to avoid," Hokage deadpanned.  Ibiki raised an eyebrow.  "But there is a more serious reason.  She knows Orochimaru well.  With her knowledge and your um, creativity you should be able to make something-,"

"So I'm both protection and a military device.  I do that anyway,"

"That and...  Oh, just watch her, Ibiki, I don't want her out of your sight," The Hokage emphasized the last sentence.

_What're you trying to?  Kill me?  As if I don't see enough of Anko.  _Ibiki visibly cringed.  _He's afraid she'll run off.  _The Hokage gave him an appraising look. 

"You're dismissed,"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," The Anbu rose and headed for the door.  It swung open to reveal Anko awaiting punishment outside.

"Ibiki, I would watch out for the missing chunin.  I have a hunch he's not just collateral damage,"

"Yeah, sure"

_How does one go about explaining this to Anko?_

**Evening-****Wind****Country-****Village**** of the Hidden Sand**

Yashamaru burst into the Ninja Administration blowing like a winded horse.  He had just heard some very disturbing news and wondered how to present it.  At the door of the study the Medical nin collected himself.  Over the door hung some small decorative pieces that he hadn't noticed the last time he came, three days ago.  Pieces of glass hung in short strands glittering like pearls when the fading light hit them.  In between the diamond shaped pieces of glass trailed thin red beads.  These swung when breezes from the open window touched them.  Yashamaru shook his head; these trinkets were odd, even for Kazekage. 

Standing up, he pushed the door open and marched in completely unprepared for the sight that met his eyes.  The Kazekage sat at his desk in full formal robes.  As if this weren't odd enough he even wore the triangular hat he complained so much about.  His mouth twisted up into a sort of grimace as he drummed his fingers on the desk.  The major difference, though, was that Kazekage could be seen over the mountains of paper.

Suddenly wrapped hands clamped onto his shoulders.  He locked his knees.  Where had Baki come from?

"Sit," the Anbu commanded.  When Yashamaru didn't a chair slammed into the backs of his knees.  They buckled easily.

"Baki, that was unnecessary," Kazekage leaned forward in his chair over the desk.  "Oh, Baki?  You can let go,"

The Sand shinobi didn't like taking his hands off Yashamaru.  Yashamaru was neither a man he liked, or trusted.  He always seemed to be ready to plead mercy, like a child.  Baki was not interested in mercy.

"Now, Yashamaru, you're here to tell us this girl has disappeared,"  Yashamaru faltered.

"How did you-?"

"We felt a massive chakra appear out of nowhere.  It began to dwindle, smaller and smaller, seeming to head east," said Baki grumpily.  He crossed his arms (still standing behind Yashamaru).  "All we had to do after that was wait for you to come running,"

"What?!" 

"When we realized how likely it was that your girl is really a chakra monster we decided to actually hold out end of the bargain," Baki explained with elaborate slowness.  They hadn't really believed him before?  _At least they do now, _thought Yashamaru.  He didn't know whether to feel flattered or insulted.  "We figured you'd find out if this girl is the one that left and come tell us," Baki continued.  Yashamaru drew a deep steadying breath.  From here on out things might get sticky.

"Alright.  So we've established that I'm truthful.  What does that tell us?"

"Yes, you were right.  Now look," Kazekage gestured to one of the large maps pegged on the left wall.  "Where could she be headed?  She went east.  Tell us what you know,"

"I don't really know much," Yashamaru stuttered.  He found himself pegged under death glares.  "But, there are some things.  Small things.  She's been threatening to leave ever since she got here.  I- I think she has a score to settle with someone," He studied the world map.  A minute yellow peg marked Konohagakure.  "It's looks as if she's going towards Fire Country,"

"I don't think so,"  _What is this?  They bring me in here, ask me what I think and then argue with me?  _Yashamaru bristled.

"Why not?  It's as good as any guess,"

"I sent scouts out behind her.  They lost her trail quickly when their own scouts were found dead.  They fallowed long enough to know she's not going to Fire country.  Not directly, at least," While Baki explained this Kazekage shuffled through a veritable sea of papers.  He nearly buried himself before emerging victorious, holding a scroll that looked almost brand new.  He began pushing stacks off his desk, like an overzealous child digging through his toy box.  Papers flew to floor in tidal waves.

"Look here," He called both men over.  _Yes, no more prisoner of Baki._  They spread the new scroll out on the now empty desk.  Kazekage held one side of the scroll with his right hand; the other held a huge green mug of cold espresso.  As it turned out, the scroll was not old, only unused.  "Here are the statistics.  Look at Wind Country.  The unexplained death and disappearance rate is three times as high as that of Fire Country.  This leads me to believe that Jezzy cannot be a criminal from fire country; otherwise the death rates there would have risen as well.  Arg!  She's got nothing to do with the leaf...  _(Note: he just has a feeling about this.  He's trying to find a way to justify it).  _So they wouldn't want her, or have anything to do with her,"

"Then that note you sent-?" interrupted Baki. 

"Might tick them off a bit, but it's not enough to start a war.  We'll have to send another one, apologizing for the trouble," 

Yashamaru did his best to keep up.

"Wait, so, if Jezzy seems to have no connection to the Leaf, where is she going?" he asked.  Kazekage handed Baki the scroll, drained the expresso and marched over to the yellowing map of Wind Country.  He fingered a few red pegs in the green coffee can mounted on the wall (he seemed to have a lot of these).

"Baki, read me the location of all unexplained deaths and disappearances in the past year," ordered the man.  Baki, catching on, began to read. 

**Sand****Village******

**30 mins later (****9:10 pm****)**

The map was now covered in dull red pegs.  They were layered quite thickly around Sand Village, but dispersed farther away.  The area in the northwest stood out farther the anything else.  In the northwest corner of Wind Country a great circle of red pegs over lapped each other like a sun, getting less and less concentrated, until they were scarce.  In the middle though, there rested the problem.  The middle of the circle did not hold one peg, but around it there were many, gradually thinning out until the rate was back to normal.

Two of the three nins studied the map.  The third sprawled out in his chair.  His head tilted back, mouth open.  The man had suffered a complete, after-several-hundred-shots-of-espresso-in-a-week, crash.  Yashamaru and Baki left him alone. 

"Well, we've got our location," said Baki.  Kazekage's idea worked better than anticipated.

"That empty circle," Yashamaru shivered involuntarily.  "It's like a dragon's den,"

"I suggest we start looking there," Baki pushed a dull yellow peg into the center of the circle.  Yashamaru shook his head.  In his mind sat a rather disturbing image which suddenly refused to leave.  The map had a yellowish cast to it, with a red circle and in the circle's center sat an ugly yellow peg.  Yashamaru's lips curled, it looked like a festering wound.

"_We?_  I work at the hospital, Baki.  Even you know that,"

"Yes, we," Baki said rolled his eyes.  "I don't know this girl.  You do.  It'll be much easier to deal with the situation if we don't do it blindly.  That's if you come,"

_When I come?  Talked?  We?  Oh Sh-it._

"What about the children-,"

"I'm sure Kazekage can watch his own kids for a few days,"

"He has work to do...  And sleep to catch up on," Yashamaru stalked towards the door.  Kazekage let out a particularly loud snore.  Baki caught Yashamaru's arm before he had taken three steps.  Yashamaru glared, trying to wrench free.

"Yashamaru, you're coming.  Get over it," Baki released him.  To his credit, Yashamaru didn't let momentum throw him backwards.  "Be there in three hours, ready to go,"

Yashamaru squared his shoulders and left the room.  The door clicked shut behind him; Yashamaru turned and graced it with a mocking bow.  Mid bow something caught his eye.  He hadn't noticed before how much the glass beads framing the door looked like teeth.  Teeth and Gums, teeth and blood, gums and sticky ropes of saliva.  _Oh My God....  _Yashamaru took a deep breath, he turned away.  _I am still sane.  When I turn back around they'll be gone.  I'm still sane._

The medical nin was right.  Just beads and candlelight.  Perfectly normal.

_"It is known that a year later Yashamaru took a suicidal mission from the Kazekage.  One person changed much in a year.  The Yashamaru I knew was hardly vengeful.  What made him change?"_

_                                    Jezebel_

**Leaf****Village-**** 7 PM- Ichiraku Ramen Bar**

"What?!" Anko gaped.

"That's more or less the reaction I expected," Ibiki said dryly.  He slurped up a few ramen noodles.

"Uhuh,"

"You can close your mouth now, Genma's going to close it for you," Ibiki deadpanned.  Anko snapped her mouth shut just as Genma's hand whacked her chin.  She swatted the offending hand away.

"Why?"

"How come you can't just be glad Hokage is allowing you to come?"  Anko poked Ibiki with her chopsticks.  When he didn't react she took the chance and claimed his ramen the minute he looked away.

Genma began to laugh uproariously at the comical scene.  The four of them went to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar for dinner.  But, like children, they vied for each others bowl of ramen.  They took up four of the eight bar seats. Anko sat next to Ibiki, who bumped elbows with left-handed Genma.  Then Gai, Genma scooted as far as possible from him.  Other customers took those few minutes to walk inconspicuously out.     .

"Oh man," the blond dabbed his eyes.  "And here I thought we were goin' ta do some male bondin' or somethin',"

Anko nearly slapped him.  Ibiki took the initiative, removed Anko's momentarily forgotten chopsticks chopsticks from his bowl, and continued to eat as though Anko wasn't trying to murder Genma over his head.  She felt sore about being the only current female anbu (the last one had retired a few weeks before). 

Gai, on the other hand, took everything almost a seriously as Ibiki.

"Really Anko, you should try to go a day without getting in trouble, it always works for me," PING!

"Trouble?  Me?  Never!  I'm just a sweet little girl," she pouted.

"You know?  This probably wouldn't be a problem if you just listened when people gave you directions," Gai advised.

"I do listen!"

"Yeah, in on meetings you're not supposed to be at," Ibiki caught a punch aimed at his head. 

Genma smushed a cigarette butt into the small crystal ashtray.  _How in all nine hells, did I get stuck with this team?  _There was Gai, the self proclaimed most handsome man in Konoha.  Anko, the loudest most scattered kunoichi he'd ever had the pleasure (or misfortune) to meet, himself, the lazyass voice of reason (relatively speaking), Ibiki, their creative, sadistic and oh so fearless, leader, and (Genma sighed), Kakashi, the youngest Anbu on the team, with no ability to stay on a schedule and a hard rivalry with Gai.

Genma's long blond hair was held up by a bandana, ponytail style so it wouldn't get in his food.  He flagged for another bowl.

"Well," Genma added.  "You should have no trouble listening in on captains meetings then,"

"I never..!  How can I...?  Oh," Anko blushed pink.  Ibiki raised an eyebrow.

"Guys, I hate to break it to you, but Anko and I are sharing a tent, not a bedroll," Genma sighed audibly. _That takes the fun out of things.  _He hadn't been planning to tease them, only to make things more interesting.  Anko glared at him.

"Yeah!"  Gai got into "nice guy" pose over his stool.  "Anko would much rather share a bed with me!"  He flung his arm across Genma and Ibiki towards Anko.  Genma took it, daintily picked it off his shoulders and dropped away from his body.

"No she wouldn't," said Anko.  Gai's face fell flat.  "I mean, yes, she would.  Check back in a year or ten," she muttered.

"Okay," Gai said, apparently thrilled.  Knowing Gai he would hold Anko to her word ten years from now.  Anko ran a hand through her spiky raven hair, thoroughly annoyed.

"Jeezus," she blustered some more accompanied by various comments from the rest of her squad, gradually building up speed. ("Whatdaya mean, I can't sit still?"  "I am not ADD!"   "Well, if I'm ADD then you're manic depressive!")

"Calm down, Anko," Gai broke in.

"I am calm!" she roared.  Fallowing this incident the proprietor of the ramen bar felt obliged to ask the group to leave, they were scaring the remaining customers.

_It's funny really, all this crap,_ _just to cover up the fact that we're worried about Kakashi.  So we act like nothing's wrong.  _Ibiki figured Kakashi could survive most anything; the man was more resilient than a dragon that had been poked in the eye.  Ibiki just hoped Kakashi could hold up if he was tortured.

****

****

**The desert- Somewhere in Wind Country- early morning, first light**

_"Holy shit!"_ Kakashi sat bolt upright in his bedroll.  Just another dream.  Unsurprisingly the first rays of morning sunlight greeted his eyes.  He squinted.  "Why does the sun rise so early out here?  Jeezus, it doesn't let a guy sleep,"

Not that he wanted to go back to sleep.  Today would be his third day of staying at this god forsaken piece of land in the middle of a frying pan.  He hadn't slept well since meeting the watcher.  Kakashi ran a calloused hand through bleach blond hair. 

Most people forget their dreams as soon as they wake up.  Sometimes they get especially vivid dreams, but every once in a while.  Kakashi had been having those ever since meeting Watcher.  The lack of sleep they caused started to get to him.

Rubbing his eyes Kakashi surveyed the campsite.  The oasis was a good size, almost a mile square.  Most of it was covered in scrubby grass and sandy dirt.  They camped near the center, but far enough away from the spring that anything that came to drink there would not be bothered.  They spread out bedrolls under several palm trees.  The fire had died and Watcher's bedroll was empty, as always.  _Did the man ever sleep?_  Kakashi offered to stand watch every night, but the other man declined politely.  When Kakashi insisted on it, Watcher promised to wake him up, but never did.

Surprisingly Iruka was also awake. The chunin usually slept late.  Iruka pushed himself up in his bedroll, rubbing his eyes.  They were rimmed in black; he hadn't had enough sleep either.  Kakashi raised an eyebrow.  Iruka was too busy yawning to notice.  Maybe they were having to same kind of dreams, thought Kakashi.  What he wouldn't do to be rid of them.

Kakashi took the opportunity, pushed back his cover and got up.  He stretched and went to find a place to pee.

Iruka pulled his shirt over his head.  _Arrogant bastard thinks he's so much better than the poor lowly chunin.  _Iruka had seen Kakashi staring at him.  He shivered, he hadn't realized how cold the desert was at night.  _If I'd known where I was going, I'd have packed accordingly.  _

The higher the sun got the stranger everything felt, to Kakashi anyway.  If he hadn't already been here for three days he would've thought he'd transferred into an alternate universe.  Why was there so much tension in the air?  Was he imagining it?  He watched carefully as Watcher and Iruka ate their breakfast.  Iruka held the coffee mug between clenched hands.  They were turning white at the fingertips.  The chunin was easy to read, people are easier when they're scared.  Watcher, on the other hand, was quite difficult.  He never showed anything you weren't supposed to see.  Never gave away any hints.  Nothing could penetrate his unfailing calm as far as Kakashi had seen.

Kakashi poked the fire.  A thin trail of white smoke rose above the trio.  Kakashi forced down a few bites of rice He wasn't nervous... just antsy.

"Something..."   Iruka whispered.  "Something's coming, something big," His voice rose.  Watcher narrowed his eyes.  Kakashi shivered involuntarily.  "We should avoid it; something bad is going to happen!"

"Say that again, kid," Watcher crouched right in front of Iruka, crunching on dry twigs.  The dark-haired man sat back a bit, away from Watcher's stare.

"That's something's going to happen?"  Iruka forced a laugh.  "I mean, you can all feel it right?  Something's coming?  If we brought the weakest genin in the village they could tell just from the feeling here," The air did feel thicker.

_Yeah, _Kakashi agreed.  _You'd have to be an idiot to not notice anything._

"No," Watcher's mouth twitched.  "You said something else; you said something was happening now," His dark eyes shown with a fierce light.  Iruka felt confused.  What was Watcher talking about?

"Ah, w-well I just, I dunno, I had sort of a... a feeling.  Man' I don' know," Iruka shrugged and stared hard into his purple mug.  He seemed to fold in on himself.  Watcher's dark eyes could cut glass. 

Kakashi brought out a kunai; he began to sharpen it excessively.  Best to keep busy.  Evidently the kid wasn't really being paranoid because the Watcher completely focused on him.

"Boy, if you feel anything else, you tell me, ok?  You tell me quick,"

"Uh, ok," Iruka wasn't one to argue with Watcher.

Kakashi would have thought the chunin was being paranoid, but the way Watcher reacted worried him.  If the Watcher was tense, shouldn't they be terrified?  The thought was not comforting.

The sun seemed to rise faster now, and with it, so did the tension.

**Wind Country- early morning- sunrise**

Jezebel left.  The last Gaara could see was a figure flying across the desert dunes as if on great wings.  She headed east into the rising sun.  Gaara could still hear her sharp voice from where he stood.  He could feel her lips on his cheek.  He grinned, remembering the havoc she wrecked on his household. 

When Gaara looked after Jezzy again only her foot prints were left to show her existence.  Gaara noticed a few black clad figures flitted after her.  What?...

Temari poked him.

"Come on, Yashamaru will be up soon, if he isn't up already," Gaara nodded.  He fallowed his siblings off the village wall.  They walked back in the morning dark and comforting silence.  All three knew Yashamaru wouldn't be up for a while.  It was Saturday.

Kankuro pushed open the screen door, yawning, and the three of them crept back to bed.

_"And so the first seeds of madness were sown.  Some children are born of fire, others are born of ash.  But some, some are made of both fire and ash.   In the end, does it truly matter?  The answer is not so simple."_

_                                                Jezebel_

"Go away," It came as a hiss, sending steam onto the closed window.  It was cold tonight.  Gaara didn't leave, instead he watched.

Jezzy turned her strange eyes on him from where she sat, staring out into the night.  He liked her eyes.  They were like his own, different.  They were almond shaped and dark eyelashes curled out from them, but that wasn't what made them different.  Dark green irises shot with yellow, the pupil was a tiny dot that expanded and contracted at the slightest change of light.  It was mesmerizing to watch.  These odd eyes locked on him, and with a calm beyond anything that had ever come from her mouth, she whispered.  "If you won't go, then I will,"

"You always say that,"

"This time I mean it.  Tomorrow morning, at dawn.  Besides, me being here is scaring Kankuro and Temari, and Yashamaru," she added as an afterthought.

Gaara held Snookums, the stitches-in-neck bear out to Jezzy.  She didn't even look at it.

"Snookums wants to kiss you goodnight,"

"If Snookums were real he would hate me,"'

"Snookums _is _real!"  Gaara explained indignantly.  "He cried like Temari when you tore his head off.  Besides," Gaara added.  "Snookums loves you,"  

"Snookums loves me..."  Being told that she was loved by someone who didn't know jackshit about love was not what Jezzy needed.  Not while she sat there brooding.  (_Think: Sasuke style)_

"Yashamaru loves you too," Gaara continued.  Jezzy let out a sudden harsh laugh.

"Yashamaru loves me?!  That's the stupidest thing I ever heard!  He doesn't even love you.  Heck, he might not even like you!"

"But-,"

"He hates you!  He hates you just like he hates me,"

"But-,"

"Temari and Kankuro don't like you either.  They don't hate you, but they fear you, just like they fear me," Suddenly Gaara didn't like Jezzy's eyes anymore.  They drove thin slivers of sadness into his soul.  "No one loves you Gaara," Jezzy's voice rose steadily.

She grasped him by the shoulders.  Sand poured into the space milliseconds before her hands connected.  Gaara's eyes widened with surprise.

"Gaara, Temari told me how you were born or better...  created.  Gaara, Gaara of the Sand," Her voice softened.  Sand floated around her fingers.  It receded when her harmful intent disappeared.  Jezzy knelt and pulled Gaara into her arms with his bear. 

He shook his head, confused.  He felt her hugging him, hating him, loving him.  Loving, hating, it was so mixed up.  He admired Jezzy, yet he hated her for confusing him so.   His only friend, enemy.  He didn't know.  Too much, too fast. 

Gaara closed his eyes.  For the first time in his life someone held him, stroked his hair, felt his skin.  The little boy pressed his forehead into her chest, feeling the warmth of human contact.  He inhaled, smelling dust and sweat, so close.   

"Gaara," Jezzy whispered.  "Gaara, you and I, we're monsters.  No one will ever love us,"

**_Notes:  _**_The timing of the letter sent between the two villages could not have been more perfect, no?_

_            One of the reasons that Sandaime wants Anko with Ibiki is because he's afraid Orochimaru might bait Anko, Ibiki could rationalize her._

_            The scene with Gaara and Jezebel in this chapter is one of the most poignant I've ever written._

_            to Gaara love has a different meaning.  Jezzy does not really know what love (or family or hate or grief) is, she just thinks she does.  Though at times (usually the wrong times) she can be remarkably perceptive._

And so Chapter 6 comes to a close.  I hope you enjoyed it, because the amount of effort put into it better balance the amount of reviews.  This means many.  Previously I had explained how much reviews, whether they be flames or not, mean to me.  **So if you could please review I would be eternally grateful.**

**Thank you too:**

**Pixii-Meakur****- **your review was very thoughtful.  You're the first one that noticed my bits of dark humor.  Thank you for noticing.  I'm glad you think I write well.  I truly appreciated your review.

**FieryKitsune****- **I'm glad you liked the scene with Snookums.  Yes, I was born in the year of the dragon, but unlike you, I have no muse (unless you count bishounen).  Blaze sounds pretty cool.  I think I would like him.  The thing with Jezzy is that since she didn't grow up under human influence her dragon side took over.  Thank you!

**Will- **I do love you, brother dear, but next time sign me off before you review.  People probably think I reviewed my own story.

"Gaara, you and I, we're monsters.  No one will ever love us,"


	7. The First Third

**This is one of my shorter chapters…. **

**_Read and Review please!  I will be eternally grateful and probably review your story if you have one._**

**I have a humble request.  If you are and artist of any kind, would you mind drawing a picture of Kakashi from chapter five?  That would be awesome!**

Since, many of the people in the last chapter do not have defined characters I tried to define who they are.  Also, about Yashamaru.  He's a good person, but he does things for the wrong reasons, in short he's torn.  And he carries a mean grudge.****

**Chapter 7**

**We're going to go back in time for a bit, just to the beginning the last chapter- to right before Jezebel left Sunagakura.  Predawn.**

"Wake up!" a voice hissed.

"Five maw minutes, Maru,"

"Wight now!"  Kankuro turned over on his pallet, mummifying himself in sheets.  "Kankuro!  You get up this instant!"   Temari gave the sleep clogged boy a quick rap on the butt with her knuckles.

"Ow!  Whaddaya want?"  The boy yawned, rubbing his bottom.  He squeezed his eyes shut tight, ready for strong morning sunlight, but when nothing happened, he cracked one eye open.  "What time is it?"

"Early, Gaara and I want you to come say goodbye to Jezzy with us,"

"Gaara's with you?"  Kankuro snapped to wakefulness.  He hadn't noticed the small figure next to Temari with his eyes closed.  The seven year old pushed away his covers.  "Good morning Gaara," he said brightly.

"Jezzy's going somewhere," said Gaara.

"That's what Temari just said,"   Kankuro yawned real big.  Gaara motioned Kankuro close to his ear.  Gaara's lips barely moved when he whispered his next phrase.

"I don't want her to go,"

"What?" asked Temari.

"Nothing," said Kankuro. (note:  _he's covering for Gaara). _

Before the sun rose on the third day the three not-quite-sand-shinobi in baggy pajamas (one clinging to a ragged stuffed bear) climbed the steps that led to the top of the high stone portcullis.  The wall stood about ten feet wide; its defensive limestone walls had niches carved four feet from the top so people could look out safely, or so that a squad of shinobi could attack an enemy trying to scale the wall without being seen.  The latter being more prevalent, not many people walked up here, and a person standing up made a perfect target. 

They made an interesting picture, though if anyone looked they would have only seen figures looming in shadow.  The first rays of sun touched the edge of the horizon.  There was Jezzy, tall and cold in her emerald green kimono; shoulders thrown back like that of a great queen.  Clustered around her were two small shapes, whose heads could barely be seen above the four foot wall.  One, a dusty blond and the other with dark curling hair.  A third figure was only visible through the niches on top of the wall; one looking would not have been able to find him.  Gaara could not see over the wall.

Instead, he focused on his interest for being here.  He had woken Temari and Kankuro to bring them up here, they probably needed to say goodbye to Jezzy too.  After all, she had stayed in their house, and she told Temari and Kankuro interesting stories.  In a moment of maternal weakness, a story about her first taste a ramen.  Kankuro later remembered wondering how she remembered her first taste of ramen, when he was years younger then she and couldn't even remember his first day of school.

Jezzy gave the three of them a quick appraisal, in a few seconds it would all be over.  She would disappear from this gods-forsaken village.  Gaara just stared at her with wide dark eyes.  Temari waited with bated breath.  Kankuro swayed a bit, falling asleep on his feet. 

Kankuro's eyes flew open. He jolted as if hit with something.  Jezzy narrowed her eyes.  The pupils went wide to catch the dim light.  Kankuro shook his head to clear it.

Suddenly he had a very bad feeling.  Something he couldn't shake.  His mind told him he made it up, but the more he thought about it, the surer of it he became.

"Bye bye Jezzy," he whispered eyes downcast.  He scuffed a bare foot.  Jezzy slid her fingers under Kankuro's chin, forcing his eyes to meet her own, the little boy didn't resist.

"What just happened?" 

"Hmrph," Jezzy drew Kankuro away from the other two.

"Speak clearly, kid,"

"I just know something, we- we'll meet again.   So, I guess I'll see you then," he whispered.  Jezzy lowered her voice to match his.

"You wouldn't want that?"  Kankuro took a deep breath and looked Jezzy straight in the eye.

"No, I wouldn't," 

_You don't want to meet up with me again? Ha!  _Jezzy remembered someone telling their child, bullies called names.  She understood everyone here called her a monster behind her back that made them bullies.  She wanted nothing to do with bullies.

The two walked back to Temari and Gaara with considerably more distance between them.  Next, Jezzy spoke with Gaara.

She pulled him close to her, wrapping one hand around his neck, the other tugged at his ear.  Her breath caressed his cheek when she knelt, whispering.  The little boy trembled.  Jezzy drew away and called Temari to her.

"Before I forget, I found this inside the locked room," Temari's eyes widened.  Jezzy fished through a pocket.  She held her prize out to Temari.  The little girl scrutinized it and held it up to the light.  Its many facets caught beads of dim light and reflected them onto her hands in diamond shaped patterns.  They looked like little teeth reflected on her skin.  The blue crystal piece was attached to a silver chain that felt as fine as spun silk.  Temari breathed in awe, small fingers caressing the chain.  It reminded Temari of water, water in the desert.  She slipped the long chain over her neck, trying hard not to get it caught in a spiky pigtail.

"I don't really know what it is.  You can figure it out," Jezzy almost smiled.  "It looks ok on you," In fact, the ornament dwarfed such a small neck, but Temari took the compliment to heart and tucked it under her nightgown.

_I'm done here.  _Jezzy balanced on top of the wall.  She spread her arms, poised to leap the twenty feet to the ground. 

"Wait!"  Gaara dropped Snookums to the ground.  The bear bounced hard before flopping over, forgotten.  Jezzy stepped off the wall, annoyed at yet another delay.  "Will you hold me?"  The boy looked up at her, holding his arms out stiffly, waiting.  Jezzy sighed and opened her arms. 

"Here," She waited to leave but nothing could ruin today. Gaara wrapped his arms around her neck; she tugged him close to her, feeling his heartbeat and lifeblood.  Her pulse picked up. 

It felt just like the other last night to Gaara.  The warmth of another person, someone who didn't care that he was different.  Her heartbeat felt soothing.  Breasts, soft.  Smell, like sand.  No tangy blood smell lingered on due to a recent shower.  For some odd reason Gaara felt comforted.

"Thank you Jezzy," he smiled when she pushed him away.  His cheeks flushed from the excitement of a completely mechanical hug. 

Jezzy leaped into air off the wall.  She dropped out of sight, landed lightly and ran, no more looking back.  The three children on the wall turned away.

It wasn't until weeks later that Gaara really missed Jezzy. He began to recall memories of her, they were so clear to him.  And with these he began to recall her harsh words. 

**Desert:  evening**

Jezzy sucked in a deep breath.  Grit filled her mouth.  it tasted good, like home.  She was almost home, where free food waits and _no_ families.  Jezzy's arms pumped, she ran grinning unconsciously, extreme happiness bubbled up inside of her.  She hadn't been this healthy for too long.   She felt open to greet the sun, which was beginning to set.  Chakra filled her every pore and when it finished it flowed out like water through a siv.

 Filled with the taste of the desert, Jezzy threw her head back, biting wind poured through her dark hair like water.  She imagined the sun on her neck being like honey (though she had never tasted it, and didn't know how ridiculously sticky it could be).  Two miles.  Two bloody more miles.

"Ar-," A hand clamped swiftly and surly over Jezzy's mouth.  She tasted hard calloused skin, rough on her lips and sour.  She bit down with sharp teeth.  Blood welled across her tongue tasting metallic and even more sour.  Too late.  The hand released, but in the few split seconds it covered her mouth another hairy arm slammed across her throat.  Thick fingers searched for her windpipe.  Jezzy struggled, twisting her body this way and that.  She thrashed planning each move.

"Arggg!!!!!"  _Think, dammit, think!   _Jazzy slammed her elbow backwards into the stomach of her captor, he barely moved.  She formed continuous seals with her fingers.  In, out, loop, down, point.  The seals battered them, but nothing came of it. 

Sand filled Jezzy's mouth as her attacks kicked up wind.  The person coughed on the back of her neck.  Jezzy concentrated her chakra on her throat, where greedy fingers pressed.  Fists and sides connected and colors flashed.   Dizzy.  Slam.  Coughing.  Hair in mouth.  Balls and feet smashing.  Muscles twitched and bent, but the man did not relinquish his death grip on Jezzy's throat.  Neither combatant gave an inch. 

**Five minutes later**

Gradually, the man wore Jezzy down, every move she made his fingers close a little tighter.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"  Jezzy screamed in rage.  Something utterly inhuman poured out.  Every bit of chakra she had now focused on keeping her windpipe open.  The man shuddered against her back.  The world bent and snapped back into place like a rubber band.  The grimy hand exploded off her neck from charka force, but a blast that should have torn away the arm and everything attached only snapped the hand back.  In the split second of freedom Jezzy drew a deep rasping breath, her throat burned.  The hand sprung back to its position like a spring compelled.

Once again Jezzy gathered her chakra, not enough!   She reached deep into her own core, finger tips, toes, scalp. _ A little more, give me a little more._  Still not enough, but Jezzy forced it into her throat anyway.  _Hold him off, just a little longer._  Thin streams of air reached her lungs still.  Jezzy's pupils dilated, for the first time in her life she realized,_ I could lose.  _And crushing fear crept from within her bowels.__

_No air!  Adahh!  Slippery.  Sweat.  Sour scent!   _The man's fingers dug into her throat, blood welled under the nails.  _Air dammit!  No, it hurrrrrrrrts!  Stench.  Power.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  _Tears rolled down her face, which slowly started to go from red to white.  She tasted salty tears.  Blood.  Not enough chakra.  And fear, it consumed her.  Jezzy's knees buckled.  Why was everything reddish?.... 

Suddenly, she could breathe, in thin whips, but she could.  The hand on her throat loosened slightly.  She became aware of a low voice in her ear.

"Shhhhh," Without releasing his sticky grip on her neck Watcher stroked her hair, as if to calm a frightened animal.  "Shh," Her full weight fell on him.  He released his grip a little more.  She had no chakra left, and even if _he_ was breathing hard it wouldn't be difficult to get her in hand again.

Stars burst before Jezzy's eyes.  Wonderful, beautiful, clean air.  Still not quite enough, but it kept her conscious.

"Now, are you read to listen?"  Watcher spoke softly, but this time Jezzy recognized his voice.  She gulped remembering how she thought she was going to die, the overwhelming fear that swamped her, and seeing her own death.  But she still lived.  She didn't have the energy to get mad, only enough to breathe with relief.  Blood throbbed in her wrists and locked jaw.  Her hands shook, the cuts already beginning to clot.  She nodded through clouded vision.

"Ok, here's an arrangement.  You can try to kill me, but first you must listen, and do what I tell you.  When I release you, you agree to do nothing, otherwise I'll kill you," Watcher's voice held no conviction, but Jezzy didn't doubt it for a second.  She nodded, shaking (with fear or fury?  Watcher didn't know).  He reached into a pouch belted around his waist, making soothing sounds all the while.  Mimicking a stable hand dealing with frightened horses he tied a black cloth over Jezzy's eyes.  It wouldn't really stop her if she wanted to fight, but it might kill her moral a little more.  "Ok, I'm letting you go," 

Watcher released her and quickly backed up about  five paces.  Jezzy staggered, but regained her balance.  Something soft and black had been slipped over her eyes.

Watcher waited a couple of seconds before coming up beneath her, throwing her potato sack style over his shoulder and marching away.

**Jezebel's Oasis- same time different place**

Iruka and Kakashi had been searching for Watcher since the man disappeared, after breakfast.  Though neither was willing to admit it, they both felt much safer with Watcher around.  So, without leaving the oasis (the desert outside loomed like a giant death trap) they separated, each starting on opposite ends of the island and working their way inward, searching.  Neither harbored much faith that they would find anything, but it kept them busy.  Busy kept the mind away from unpleasantness, even if it lingered like an explosion note.

Iruka tramped through his side of the oasis.  He hadn't realized how many trees there were.  Palms were sparse, but beneath them grew tall, grandiose bushes and scrubby shrubs, enough to make it almost like home.  _The way an ocean is to a pond, like home.  _Iruka swatted away a few bugs and absently scratched a bite on his neck. 

"Dear god, we know Watcher isn't here..."

   _Why look for him?_ 

"Am I going insane?" 

_Why are you carrying on a conversation with yourself?  How could we sink this low?_

_We?  I'm not a schizophrenic, you know._

_Of course not._

_Hey...  Are you my conscience?_

_Oh, look, the pond.  Kakashi should be here so-!_

_Holy Mother of-!_

Iruka gasped.  His body shuddered, overwhelming sensations filled his head.  Bubbles of fear, then pain and more pain.  It streaked like flashfire down his body, eating whatever it touched.  Suddenly there was a flash of anger, deep hatred.  Iruka suddenly hated...  something....  ARG!  More pain.  Goosh!  Cool!  Wet!  Water poured down his face, running down onto his shoulders and clothes.  He inhaled it.  Water meant life, water meant-.

_Kakashi__.  _Kakashi's legs, to be more precise.  Iruka had a good view of the anbu's bare feet from where he lay curled into fetal position.  _How did I get down here?_  He squeezed his eyes shut.  Kakashi prodded him with a foot, not so gently, and set a large wooden bucket down in the dust next to him.

"Chunin?  Hey, you!"  _Dammit__, what's his name?  _"Ah.  Iruka!  You okay?"

Iruka wiped some water from his eyes, sitting up.  He began wringing out his shirt.

"Do I look alright to you?"  The chunin tested his limbs.  They didn't even hurt anymore.  He sighed.  He did not need to take his weirdness out on Kakashi.  Even if Kakashi was a conceited bastard.  "What happened?"

"I was on my way here when you started screaming and yelling.  You fell over and twitched like you were having a seizure or somethin'.  Believe me, it was weird," Kakashi fingered his mask awkwardly.

"What was the water for then?"  Iruka wrung out his ponytail, letting the droplets cool his neck.  Kakashi sat down across from Iruka.  Iruka broke eye contact first.  The sharigen was difficult to look at.

"Well," Kakashi smiled, dramatically.  "In medical training they always told us never to leave insane- I'm kidding- hurt people alone.  But no one else was here, I take it you didn't find Watcher either, and I needed some way to shut you up.  You could've brought anything in ten miles down on us," Iruka couldn't remember saying anything, but apparently he had screamed.  He stared at the ground; Kakashi had just said what he had been afraid to think.  Maybe he was going insane. 

Kakashi watched the Chunin, Iruka, carefully.  Iruka seemed fine now, albeit a little wet, but only a few minutes ago he collapsed.  Kakashi shook his head.  _If Watcher were here-.  Annnd we've sunk to a new low.  _

_Let's recap, shall we?  I woke up in the middle of the night to be brought out to the middle of nowhere (for a purpose that is **still **unknown, mind you) with a mad chunin, an insanely powerful chakra monster, waiting for something that feels like the kyubi itself, and now, I'm hoping Watcher will come back.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a new low.  _Iruka's soft voice interrupted his musing.

"You must be going insane as I am, you were muttering,"

"I was having an intelligent conversation!  Must you interrupt?"

"Yeah," They looked at each other, keeping eye contact.  This time Iruka didn't break.  Kakashi looked away first.  Iruka's eyes were ice, harder then he'd ever seen them.  Instead of basking in his mental loss Kakashi watched Iruka's eyes open wide.  The chunin stared right past him.  And the look that touched his face was one of horror.

Slowly Kakashi turned around behind him a huge mushroom cloud rose about two miles away.  It spiraled high into the sky.  An explosion if charka slammed into both of them.

Iruka gasped.  _I was right?!  _Kakashi rubbed his arms, trying to rid them of goosebumps.

"My god," he whispered.  "My god,"

_(Notes:  At this point Kakashi and Iruka have only known each other a few days.  It effects they way they interact. _

_Kankuro__ doesn't want to see Jezzy  again because she scares him._

_Watcher used the sand people in hopes that  human contact would begin to change Jezzy)._

**Thank you to:**

**Makai**** Dragon: **I encourage you to continue for the love of Kakashi.   I'm not sure what you mean when you say that my writing style is intriguing though.  I'll take it as a compliment anyway : )!

**Silent:  **You are an inspiration!  You overcome the worst flames and I've read your recent writing.  It's damn good!  I know you are better then FF.net flamers.  I tried to watch my grammer in this ehem, half done chapter.

Big thank you to **Gisela!  **You sound like you really know what you're talking about.  I'm very you glad you mentioned the relationship between Jezebel and Gaara, I put a lot of work into it.  Also, Iruka is defiantly important to the plot.  You start to see it more in this chapter and the fallowing chapters.

**FieryKitsune****:  **You are the only one that said anything about Anko and that crowd!  The only one!!!  I loved them, and I'm glad you like them too.  Tell me when you get a pic of Blaze!

**Pixii****- Meaker:  **Thank you for appreciating the length of my chapters.

Wow a new reviewer!  **KageNoKatana****, **I understand you completely.  People don't seem to like original characters, but I thought up Jezzy and HAD to put her in.  I was so afraid people were going to flame me for having an original character, so I made her have a purpose.  Kudos if you know what it is.  Also, don't worry about your writing style.  If you really love it your gift will grow with you.  Age doesn't matter.  I have never read a story and thought, this person writes like a teenager or a kid. 

**Please review.  I don't care if it's a flame!  Just review.**

"Will you hold me?"  ****


	8. The Second Third

**_Read and Review please! I will be eternally grateful and probably review your story if you have one. _****Feel free to write whatever you want in your reviews. I take constructive criticism very seriously. It helps, but then again so do good reviews and compliments! I don't mind flames. **I'd also like to thank anyone who reviewed previously.

Also, I'm VERY VERY sorry for putting this story on hold. Summer got to me, heck, _I_ got to me. I hope you all except my humble apologies. Thank you very much.

**Chapter 8: The Second Third**

_The oasis- nightfall_

When Watcher marched back in as Kakashi started a fire. The two felt his chakra approach, one could never feel Watcher's chakra, but they felt it tonight. The shadows lengthened as full fledged dusk settled like a giant hand over the desert. Iruka shivered from dampness. Kakashi met his eyes for the first time in hours. Iruka raised an eyebrow as Watcher stalked into camp.

Camp, or home now, was situated in a clearing between two large palm trees, some scrubby bushes, and the pond. Insects buzzed about, but after a quick and thorough search through Watcher's wagon the two ninja had found some anti-insect cream. The horses wandered through the oasis, grazing unbothered by events around them. Iruka figured they knew more then he did about what was going on anyway.

"Heyo boys, ere' help me with this," Watcher gestured at a body slung over his shoulder. He swung and the person's head smacked into a palm tree with an audible thud. The tree shuddered. "Sorry about that," He turned about again and made the same mistake.

"Stop, you'll hurt... It," Iruka grimaced and rubbed a temple.

"What's wrong with yer head?"

"Oh, I guess I saw you slamming her head there, and mine started to hurt... It hasn't been a good day,"

Kakashi shivered. He recognized this chakra for what it was, the cause of the previous explosion. If this girl was so strong, how powerful was Watcher, to have beaten her? Kakashi studied the body_. No, not a girl, not quite._

"Take her and lay her down somewhere," Watcher swung her over to Iruka, but the chunin hesitated.

"Don't worry I wouldn't give you anything that would hurt you. You need to be intact to deal with this," Iruka took the body. He laid it down on his own bedroll by the fire, which crackled merrily in flickering laughter.

Kakashi watched Iruka carry her. The girl couldn't be more then 16. Her dark skin seemed a dusky color in the quickly fading light and blended in perfectly; a desert tan. Her hands groped at air. Sharp nails caught his attention; they were roughly edged and long. Crescents of dry blood were visible beneath each nail. His eyes drifted from there. Face; a pert, pointed nose, curving lips- _Kind of like Iruka's-_ No_ defiantly not human_. Her mouth hung open. Inside, rows of edged teeth were visible. All of them incisors.

Watcher took a seat on his bedroll. Iruka busied himself with a fire cooked meal. Kakashi stretched out across from Watcher on the other side of the fire. _Lovely, now we have **two** monsters._ Iruka handed Watcher a cup of hot water. Watcher dipped a black handkerchief in the cup, waving his fingers when the water scalded them.

It was then that Kakashi noticed the crescent shaped marks on Watcher's face. Gauges ringed his eyes, mouth, nose, and circled his ears. The girl blooded him. Clotted cuts reopened when Watcher pressed the steaming black cloth against them. Iruka unconsciously moved farther away from the girl. Watcher noticed.

"It's okay, she's gone right now. When she comes back she'll be no more powerful then the average genin,"

"What?" Iruka frowned. His body was beaten, he was sick, more then ready for bed, and he had to deal with strange demonic women. Watcher sighed.

"Look," he reached over next to him, turned the unconscious girl's face skyward and pried open a puffy black eye. "Kakashi, you should see this too," Both shinobi leaned forward. Iruka rubbed an eye.

Kakashi smiled, he had been right. _Not human. _Her eyes were too almond shaped, with huge brilliant green irises. Almost the same color as leaves, bits of yellow slashed through it like rays of sun. Immediately, the pupil contracted into a tiny black circle, blocking light. The eye reminded Kakashi of a predatory cat's eye. Watcher dropped the eyelid and immediately picked it back up again. This time the pupil was a thin slit, splitting the eye in two halves. Iruka shifted, touching one of his eyes. Watcher dropped the eyelid.

"How can she go from chakra monster to genin level?" Iruka asked. "This was what you pulled us out here to meet, right?"

"Feel it," Kakashi interrupted; stunned at subtle changes he hadn't noticed before. "Her chakra is dwindling, slowly, but it's going down. How?" Watcher nodded, adding a teabag to his hot water.

"Yes, Iruka, this is what you were to meet,"

"Why did you ask me to bring weaponry, then," Iruka made a poker face.

"I should've though that'd be obvious. Imagine that I lost when we fought. Oh, Iruka, you're burning dinner. I'll make it. You watch Jezebel for shock," They traded places, Iruka considerably perturbed.

"How strong was she?" Kakashi sipped some watery soup from a tin bowl.

"Strong enough to give me a run for my money. I caught her by surprise... She may have made it all the way here,"

"And if she did?" Kakashi shook his head; _we wouldn't have been able to fight her._

You would have been eaten,"

"Huh?" Watcher didn't even dignify that response with an answer. Iruka stuck a finger into his soup, he licked off the tip. "It felt like the demon fox was back when you two fought. Only I couldn't tell which was the fox," Iruka offered a small smile. He stood up, putting the bowl of burned soup down and stripped off his damp shirt.

Kakashi listened to all this with his eyes closed. He opened them just in time to catch of glimpse of Iruka's white stomach as the chunin threw a blanket around his shoulders, tying it at the waist. He debated closing his eyes again but Watcher decided for him. They stayed open.

"Not a demon fox. More like dragon. You saw her features. She's a predator. Iruka, look at me! Had she caught you, she would have done one of two things, perhaps both" Iruka's head snapped up. "Kakashi, listen. The first option would be to horribly mutilate your quickly dead corpse to her hearts content, that is, if you get in her way. I've seen her victims, some look mauled. Others aren't recognizable,"

Kakashi's face felt hot. Watcher was right; she was a predator, and this was too elaborate to be a joke. Watcher told the truth. It had to be the truth. Dare he ask what happened to the other victims? _No_, he already knew. _Eaten_,_ it was supposed to be a joke. _Watcher continued.

"Jezebel's father is a demi-god, half-god, who knocked up a mortal woman. Jezzy, the girl, is mortal, with all the power of a lesser god-,"

"Like the kyubi?!"

"-At her fingertips. Because she is only 1/4th pure blood she belongs to neither world, you fallow?" They nodded. "So the consensus was to put her here instead of killing her. The only problem is here there is no one to lead her. The dragon has been allowed to run wild- beyond wild,"

"So, this is about control," Iruka interrupted.

"Maybe, or, that's part of it," Watcher drawled.

"Control of what? Chakra? Why do the _gods_ care what happens to dragon girl anyway?" Kakashi lost them somewhere back with the theology. Not his best subject, nor one he had much faith in. Watcher rolled his eyes.

"Why do the gods care what happens to any of us? They play the world like we play shougi. Shinobi are sort of like trump cards in the Great Game,"

"What about the control?" Iruka bent the conversation back to his topic.

"Alright, here we go," Watcher sipped his tea calmly. "Ya see, it all ties back to a little thing called the Balance. The Great Game is played over the Balance, as is everything. Even the gods bend to the Balance. People can be classified into three basically accurate categories, good, evil, and neutral. Neutral covers the gray areas in between, which means it really isn't always neutral at all. We are all part of the balance,"

"I don't fallow," Kakashi's faith was in people, not gods. And if he did believe, he acted as an agnostic. But he couldn't ignore the figure tossing in Iruka's bedroll. Reality sucked. Come to think of it, he probably owed Iruka an apology. It seemed they would be stuck together for quite awhile.

Iruka picked up Watcher's thread.

"Think of it like a pendulum. The Balance can swing either way, to good or evil or to the middle, which is where it should be. In a perfect world it would be unmoving at "good". Am I correct?" Watcher nodded encouragement. As long as Iruka was explaining all her had to do was _think _his criticisms. _In a perfect world the pendulum would be hanging at neutral._ "If there is too powerful a force from any one side the other sides oppose it. Usually it can be dealt with. But there are special cases where it can't be. Is that where you come in? Watcher?"

"Yeah, but you missed a detail-,"

"A detail?"

"A force that can be reasoned with is always easier to deal with then one that cannot be. Usually this force can be dealt with by mortals on their own. A force that cannot be reasoned with is much more of a danger," Kakashi nodded, finally understanding.

"_Now, _she is a force to be _reasoned _with,"

"No, now she has the potential to be a force,"

"You aren't taking any chances, are you?"

**Inside Jezebel's head- same time, different scene**

Jezebel's eyes popped open. _That bloody, bloody bastard!_ Jezzy expected, somehow, to wake up back at sand village. Instead she floated in a sea of mists. Gray wisps of fog clung to the air just as it did to her body. It swirled beneath her feet like sands. She raised a hand parting the tangible mist like spider webbing. Was she in a box full of fog or did the fog stretched out forever? Maybe she could walk into it and meet a wall. Or maybe if she walked into the mists she would be lost forever. _What am I thinking? I'm lost anyway!_

She rose, rather unsteadily, pressing a clenched fist to her side, and did a quick body check.

_Shhhh_, a voice. Jezzy's head whipped up. _No one_. The voice sounded as though it came across a ravine, even at a whisper.

"What?!"

_You're too loud for this place. Jeez, you even walk loudly. _Was it possible to walk loudly with a floor of substantial air? Jezzy didn't think so, but she could be wrong.

"Who are-,"

_Just listen! _The voice cut her off. _The less you say...._ The voice grated as though tasting each word before saying it. It was deep and somewhat comforting. _It'll go faster if you say less. I'd don't have time here._

"Who are you? Why the hell am I here?"

_I thought I told you to listen! _The voice gave the impression of being distinctly male. This time he sounded annoyed. _This isn't bloody easy! It's been seventeen years since I last saw you... _Jezzy spun, he _saw her. _She squinted into the mists. _You've grown lovely, when your hands are clean..._ Jezzy stared at her hands. They were pretty clean.

Wait... Caught by a sudden hunch Jezzy yelled experimentally. Nothing happened. _And stupid,_ he added.

Jezzy clapped her mouth shut. She shivered involuntarily. The voice could be inside her head. It made her want to tear her pounding head off.

_Don't make the mistake of trying to kill me. You can't. It'd be good for you to remember there is always someone stronger. _Jezzy clenched her fists. Ignoring her feeble mental protests, the voice continued. _To the point, change._

**Dusk: several miles east- pre Jezzy/Watcher fight **

Genma poked the fire with an unlit cigarette. _Come on! Light, damn you. _He let the flames flickering around mesmerize him a little, like tiny mouths gasping for water.

The squad had stopped for water here, near a pool. The team had been to Wind Country before but it wasn't their home turf. Genma didn't know if he trusted it at night. Especially with the mission they undertook. Wind Country was unforgiving. Land had swallowed shinobi whole, some plants were mounted with sharp defensive spikes. And that was not even counting the sand shinobi.

Genma's blond hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail it looked grayish in the fading light. He wore a variation of the typical anbu uniform, designed for the desert. Propped up beside his ponytail sat his clay mask, on sideways.

Genma blinked and realized how far in the flames he had been. Drifting off on a mission? Generally a very bad idea. He yawned and sat back heavily, resting his bare arms on his knees.

In front of Genma a tiny fire crackled and popped and failed to light his cigarette. Gai lounged next to him, mouth wrapped around Genma's canteen.

"Hey! Don't backwash like that! That's disgusting, Gai," Genma groaned. "I might have wanted to drink that,"

"Go get more. So," said Gai, removing his mouth from the canteen. "How do you think Anko and Ibiki are getting along?" Genma was more concerned with his canteen full of backwash. Gai glanced behind them at the short, squat tent they had erected for planning purposes. Loud voices charged out of it.

"If you think-!"

"Let go of that map! Anko-!"

"I don't need to help-!"

"This arrangement wasn't MY fault-!"

"If Ibiki can deal with you, me, you and Kakashi, you, Kakashi, me, and Anko together, then I think he can deal with an extra large helping of Titan Woman," said Genma. A string of kunai sailed past his ear. "Then again, maybe not," _Oh Kami, I need a fix_.

20 mins later

"You wanna _do _something?!"

"Not particularly, why?"

"A practical joke or something?!"

"Gai, we're on a mission,"

"Oh man, because I just had the best idea!"

"Do you ever get tired?"

"No,"

Silence descended for several minutes.

"Hey!" said Gai.

"What now?"

"Do you smell something burning?" Genma sniffed.

"Yeah…"

"Your fingers!"

"Ahh!" The wrapping on his fingers caught fire. Genma leaped to his feet, stuffing his fingers in his mouth. "Mmph!"

"You need water," Gai observed.

"Thnnks sma ath,"

Genma bolted over the rise for the water hole. This was really a puddle with a fancy name. Genma shoved his fingers into it. Gai bent over, attempting to get water and not sand into the empty canteen.

"You should really smoke less Genma. If you did, you'd be near as fast as even me! Then you wouldn't have to get burned just to get a fix. Because that isn't good,"

Genma went into catatonic state; strategically ignoring Gai's every word while soaking his fingers. Instead he stared off to the west, where the last glimmers of daylight were fading. Soon they would have to douse the fire. It was too easy to see out here.

_What are you doing out here, Kakashi? Someone tell me what's going on! Look a pretty rock… Kakashi, if you're home, I don't think you are, but If I'm wrong then I'll- I probably won't do anything-_

Genma froze suddenly. Cold pricked at the base of his spine and rose up to his shoulder blades. He breathed in deep and quick, every hair from his arms to the back of his neck suddenly stood on end.

"Gai-," it came out a breathy attempt to speak. "Gai-,"

And the buildup of chakra exploded. Genma felt it wash over him like a drowning, acidic rain. It poured over his ears, roaring, screaming, and blinding him for a split second. Then he could breathe again. He squinted at the western horizon, where a tiny mushroom shaped cloud had begun to billow. The shockwaves would hit in a few minutes, he knew.

"Gai! Get Ibiki! Get him now, Gai," Genma backed up a few steps, stepping ankle deep into the puddle.

"Did you feel that chakra? It felt pretty strong to me-," Gai glanced at Genma and disappeared a split second later.

_Run! Run, you fool! _And he ran. Trying to catch up with the other three, who would head to the nearest rock shelter, an outcropped 200 yards from their camp. The ground heaved under his feet, as ones stomach rolls before they are about to throw up. Genma felt his feet leave the ground.

He was aware of grit in his eyes, nose, and mouth. He dared not stop. He glanced over his shoulder and his chest constricted. A wall of sand rose like a tidal wave behind him. With a great roar it crashed down just missing his feet. The ground leaped up to meet him and he crashed into blackness.

_(Notes: Kakashi may seem stupid. He's not. Iruka is an academic, Kakashi is not._

_Gai is worried about Kakashi, he just plays it off like it's not bothering him._

_The downside of being imperious to small pains- "Do you smell something burning?"- Gai. Also, Genma is very very sensitive to changes in chakra- thus the reason he felt Jezzy from so far away)._

**To everyone who reviewed when I last update, months ago. cringe**

**kage-shalom- **Thanks so much for reading. You sound like you read the whole because you thought the bloody thing was actually good! : P

Oh my goodness! Finally another chapter! **Wolfgirl13, **this chapter is for you and for your patience.

To **The Fox of burden: **your comments were much appreciated. For the record, Kankuro really isn't afraid of anyone except Gaara. But that was before Jezebel. Can you imagine actually meeting someone like that? There WILL be more Anko next chapter!

**Hamusuta**, there _might _be just a little Kaka/Iru in the future (because that I understand).

Woot! And a muffin for **MindLezz**. Glad you read the whole bloody thing!

**hikariko **I write dark. I know this, you know this. I'm glad you like my writing. See what you can pick up to amplify your "dark" side. grin

You're right. I believe I did rush the last chapter. I don't really remember why. But, **anonymous lady**, I appreciate you reading my piece.

Well, **Jan-chan**, they're coming again. Your questions DO get answered! Eventually anyway….

Please, please review.

- much luv, Bana

"Thnnks sma ath,"


	9. The Final Third

**_Seravy_**_You are the only reason this chapter got posted. Like I promised, Anko is in this chapter!_

_The Final Third_

_"Reality is relative. I had been living life in the myth of the cave and Plato suddenly turned me towards the light. It was then, in my own domain that I realized what had happened. The world blurred to my eyes but in reality it had snapped into focus, fast and undeniably painful."_

_Jezebel_

**The Desert**_- after nightfall_

_"_What the fu," Ibiki covered Anko's mouth. "Wuf zat?"

"That," Genma removed an ice pack from a very puffy left eye. "Was an explosion of chakra,"

"What do we do?" Gai asked. "Do we move tonight?"

"No," Ibiki stated. "We're in a walled spot. The enemy doesn't know we're here. If they did that huge chakra would have been directed at us. We sit tight for now,"

The team took cover behind a rock outcropping only 200 yards away from their original camp. An obvious hiding spot, if invisible to an aproaching party. It was a strategically good position. The enemy could be heard long before they could find the Anbu team.

"What was that?" Anko repeated.

"You tell me," Genma mumbled. "You're our expert on the dark chakras," Anko looked pissed. Ibiki figured he'd better head this one off before Anko bubbled over.

"Ignore him," she said, surprisingly calm, to the other three. "Head wound," Gai nodded knowingly.

"So, perhaps if I took a head wound I would be more sensitive as well?" asked Gai, misinterpreting.

"No," said Ibiki.

"You're correct! I have no need to be more sensitive!" Gai flashed a smile. "I am the epitome of sensitivity!" Ibiki put his head in his hands.

"Anko, Genma was right, if tactless. What did that feel like to you?" Ibiki could at least understand her thoughts and actions came from even if he could not agree with them.

"Oh!" Gai snapped his fingers. "_That_ kind of sensitive! Why didn't someone tell me?" he hissed loudly.

Ibiki clenched his fists and resisted the urge to slap his forehead.

**Wind Country- the oasis: morning**

Soft sounds reached her ears first. A birdsong, burbling of something in a pot somewhere; muted sounds. The sounds and hot breeze woke her up somewhat. She arched her back in a stretch and stared up at the crystalline blue sky. She saw no birds, not even a fluffy bloated cloud (the kind the sometimes settled over the oasis because of its water). In the corners of her vision palm trees circled, blending in perfectly with the whole scene. Jezebel relaxed letting her eyes shut again. Home. Something draped horizontally across her midriff. The thought bade her eyes open.

A hand, calloused and blistered, complete with bent and broken nails. Muscles played across the hand as it curled into a tight fist. As a matter of fact the whole ensemble connected back to a hairy men's arm. _What the?_

Jezzy slowly rolled her body sideways to have a good long stare at the owner of the offending limb. A masked boy splayed out next to her, arms and legs thrown at awkward angles, one of which rested on her stomach. He looked barely older or near to her own age. His eyelids fluttered slightly and Jezzy rolled away to face the opposite direction, shoving his hand off her stomach.

Kakashi awoke to tiny movements beside him. Jezebel counting sticks. She pressed them together then moved them farther apart all the while changing the distance in front of her face. Then she searched the ground with her fingers for a pair of different twigs and did it again until she sighed in satisfaction. Kakashi propped himself up on his elbows, studying her. She did not seem to notice.

Jezebel's dark hair curled down over her shoulders, shorter then one would think. Her bangs shielded her eyes, in dire need of shears. The pallor of her skin showed up easily. Her skin itself was tanned, like new leather. The nails on her short fingers were long but ripped. An acrid smell of blood hung about Jezebel like a mist; making Kakashi a touch more cautious in his observations. Reddish-brown gunk crusted around her mouth, it had to be blood. Scratch trails ran from her nose all the way down her neck disguising curving lips and high cheekbones. Purple bruising spread out from a small circle near her left temple and extended itself across her left eye. Watcher showed Kakashi what those looked like the night before; a strange dark green with yellow darts surrounding a pupil that was not always circular. Kakashi felt the hair on his arms rise. _May I never meet her at full strength. _

Both eyes crossed when Jezebel touched the sticks to each other. Across her throat strung a network of bruising. The multi-colored bands looked like finger marks or thick rope bindings. The former, of course. Watcher caught Jezzy by surprise. You can't catch someone by surprise if you "sneak up" in front of them. Across Jezebel's shoulders dusky skin faded into the worst tan lines Kakashi had ever seen. Then came a coarse linen shirt made of familiar grey material. Kakashi assumed it came out of Watcher's wagon.

The wagon itself had been abandoned by the roaming horses for the last three days and sat full of supplies under an outcropping of palms at the edge of camp. It tilted downward, leaning heavily on the wagon tongue.

"Jezebel?" She looked up.

"Do I know you?" she spoke with a low hoarse voice and the accent of wind country with its rolled "R"s. She looked up, her eyes focusing on him for the first time. "Maybe I do know you," she looked away again. This time towards the horizon. She didn't know him, did she? _Something_…

Kakashi shivered. There was that eerie feeling again. The same one as last night, only muted. Was it… confusion!

Jezebel, aware of scrutiny, curled her lips. Her eyesight somehow failed overnight. She couldn't focus, when she held the twigs any closer then a foot away they blurred in with the brushy background. Jezebel felt sick. She couldn't hear unless she concentrated. Her sense of smell… nonexistent. There were tiny olfactory scents, water, possibly food. A pillow pressed over her eyes, nose, and ears, making the senses useless.

_Don't make the mistake of trying to kill me. You can't. It'd be good for you to remember there is always someone stronger. To the point, change._

Was that what the voice inside her head meant, "_change_?" To cripple her? Why was she hearing voices inside her head anyway? A dream simply. _Someone stronger! My ass, someone stronger! There isn't… _

Soft angry voices caught her attention. The boy next to her stretched, catlike. Jezzy watched the muscles rippling down his arms, visible over the coarse linen blanket he slept under. _What he would look like as a corpse? Arms hacked at odd angles? Maybe blood dripping into that frosty hair? Diseased? There are more important things…_

"What were you thinking? You can't leave her here!" Iruka shouted, or at least did the Iruka equivalent of shouting; very fast and hard speech without the volume associated with shouting. Kakashi shrugged, _Iruka, you should have made yourself heard before he brought back hell- bitch. _

"She's harmless now,"

"Yes, harmless. Famous last words!" Iruka's opinion seemed to have changed somewhat since last night. He spent time thinking without Watcher's direct influence on his thoughts. _Watcher was right_, Kakashi realized. Her chakra level now equated evenly with the average genin. Was he right then, in the potential surrounding it?

"I'll prove my point over food then," Watcher banged an iron pan onto the tiny fire, next to the pot of hard boiled eggs. Where, pray tell, had Watcher gotten the eggs?

10 minutes later

Jezzy gulped back loathing as she sunk down next to Watcher. Because of him she could barely walk. He knees might collapse at any second, watery and frail. Where had the muscles in her fingers and upper arms gone? She barely pushed herself upright. When she did manage standing another defect held her attention. _Where the bloody hell is my kimono? Temari gave me that! _

Jezebel understood the value of a gift. A disguised trump card on which the giver could call when he or she needed something.

The sand shifted underneath her feet, almost making her lose her balance. Watcher smiled knowingly as she rocked forward, just missing the tiny crackling fire. Jezzy cursed Watcher under her breath for it. Watcher ignored this and prodded the strips of bacon sizzling in the collapsible pan with a pair off chopsticks.

Jezebel's stomach won the unspoken argument against her pride, as Watcher knew it would. She settled into sitting position pointedly ignoring the boys on either side of her. Watcher passed her a bowl with egg and bacon in it. Jezzy prodded the egg with a finger, and then stuffed three strips of greasy bacon in her mouth.

"Jezebel, this is Kakashi," He pointed a chopstick at albino mask boy. "This is Iruka," Suddenly Jezzy felt nervous. Iruka certainly looked awful. Jezzy belied her own nerves by contemplating the fact that she could still make someone antsy.

"Hey," Iruka waved. Jezzy spared him a more in depth glance. Smaller then the other one, what's his name? Dark brown hair, held up in a ponytail, a hitai-ate with a leaf and a scar across the bridge of his nose. _Nothing spectacular here_. _Hard to believe he has a temper at all._

"Jezebel," Watcher prodded gently. "These two boys will be your bonded,"

"Wha-huh?"

"Bonded?"

"The fuck?"

"A bonded is… sort of a body guard. Only bondings are much rarer. In your case," He pointed at Kakashi and Iruka, neither of whom had ate any of their eggs. "You were destined to be bonded with Jezebel before you were even born,"

"What does that _mean_?" Kakashi gulped, knowing he would not like the answer. Watcher looked somehow… older then he had before, and more tired. He shoveled bacon into their bowls on top of the uneaten eggs. For the first time Kakashi noticed the spider webbing of cracks around his eyes. But Watcher's eyes, usually young a bright, looked as aged as the face they peered from. How old was Watcher really? And how long had he been in the business of disrupting lives?

"Jezzy, listen. You need to know this. It's about who you are,"

_Bah! I know who I-_

"I know you think you know who you are, listen to me today and it will be the last time you will ever have to," He waited for a reply. Only silence fallowed the statement. Watcher took that to be his reply and snowplowed onward. "Jezebel, your father, I trust you had a good conversation with him, was a bonded. He was bound by an ancient jutsu to the woman who became your mother. Your mother was… indirectly responsible for the bondings. Her family can be traced back generations to the time when all the countries were united under one flag," _I bet you could be traced back to the time when all the countries were united under one flag, _Jezzy mouthed. "In order to protect the noble standing of the house's women the patriarch ordered a resident sennin to perform what is now a lost art. A bonding seal was cast upon each woman, to be inherited mother to daughter as long as women of that line survived. It was basically about self preservation in yet another time of turmoil."

"Bonding happens completely on accident, a woman of that line always finds her two bonded at random. There's no telling who her protectors will be or when the bond will form."

"That's how it used to be. As the line of that royal family lost its prestige and diminished through time, the bonding seal remained, becoming obsolete but irreversible as the arts that created it disappeared. In time, it became almost useless except to ensure the woman that she would have lifetime companions for better or for worse. Your mother found her murderer and her lover in her two bonded. Now, your condition is somewhat _different_ because you are a… hybrid of sorts." Watcher gritted his teeth as some of his trio turned progressively whiter as another became progressively more angry.

"Will the three of you make an _attempt_ to realize this is not to ruin your freedom? It is not, and never was voluntary… It's like falling in love. Well, I can't know that. I've never been in love, but the bond just happens. It'll break if you kill each other,"

"What about Konoha?" Kakashi interrupted. Kakashi normally never questioned authority. His sudden attitude was understandable. _Should I consider Watcher an authority? _"We have a village to protect! We can't waste time with a stupid girl that can probably take care of herself!" His voice rose steadily. "She obviously doesn't want anything to do with us, so why bother?" Kakashi did not even have time to blink before Watcher's hand slammed into the side of his head. Gold stars burst in front of his eyes, pain ricocheted from his skull.

"NO ONE HAD A CHOICE! If I had a choice I wouldn't be here lecturing stupid kids, which would be you, about bonding, which should've been lost to the annals of history centuries ago!" Watcher took a deep breath. _Kami, I didn't know kids could be so goddamn stupid. _"Read between the lines, Kakashi, look underneath the underneath, or whatever ever you want to call it. You're here more to protect Konoha then anything else," Watcher said scathingly, "Hear me out and I'll tell you,"

"As I said it is irreversible. Plus if I had not found you, the force of the bond would eventually have dragged Jezebel to Konohagakure," Iruka raised his hand

"What if you found the wrong two people?" Watcher looked at the boy sadly. He lowered his voice and spoke to Iruka alone.

"I can't have chosen the wrong two people. I don't make mistakes. Iruka, you've been feeling the effects of the bond for days now. Kakashi told me you were in agony when I fought with Jezebel. You were hurting, Iruka, because Jezebel was in pain." Iruka stared at the sand, trying to banish memories of the day before. Watcher addressed everyone again. "With the bond you can feel what the person you're bonded with is feeling, emotions, and strong physical attributes, like pain. Apparently sometimes other people's emotions being in your head gives headaches and creates confusion, so, there is a way to block out other people's thoughts. I, however, don't know it. You'll have to learn how to close your minds on your own,"

"I don't feel anything," muttered Kakashi.

"You will,"

"I feel nothing, either," Jezzy spoke with her eyes closed. She searched internally for an invisible channel of some kind. Would she know it when she felt it? She opened her eyes. Kakashi noticed her pupils were still circular "Nope, not a thing,"

"It'll happen. It always does,"

"I don't want anyone else's voice in my head," Iruka murmured. Watcher heard him. "Especially not Kakashi or Jezebel's,"

"The link will be through Jezzy, not around her," Watcher clarified. "So you and Kakashi can't swap emotions anyway," Watcher mused for a moment. "I guess if you thought hard enough Jezzy might be able to pick up on real thoughts,"

Jezebel's head spun. A mother and the man from the dream that was not a dream. Her father, the bonding seal, Kakashi and Iruka. The was-it-a-dream?

"Well, then, what do we do with her? She can't come back to the village with us," Iruka mumbled. "She'll kill somebody,"

"No," Watcher seemed back to his calm, relatively normal self. "We can't have that. You, Jezzy- you don't mind me calling you that right- won't go back to any village yet. You have about 12 hours to do two tasks first. You need to protect Konoha. Yes, Kakashi, protect Konoha. Sand shinobi and Leaf shinobi will meet several miles east of here," he read his watch like a map. "In approximately 12 hours. You head off the inevitable battle that will break loose,"

**Konohagakure**- same day: Morning 9AM

Sandaime usually received a lot of mail. Today no exception. The mail carrier came by and dumped the usual on Hokage's desk then left with an empty burlap sack.

Hokage sat at his desk this morning (windows open), flipping through mail. A bill (the bill pile), a bill, an electric bill, a Weapons R' Us bill, a complaint (a different pile), letter of thanks (the bulletin board outside the office), B level request (got written down), a chain letter (garbage), something with URGENT stamped on the envelope, a D level request (got written down), wait! He flipped back to the letter that said "urgent."

_Sandaime_

_We apologize sincerely as it turns out the evidence against you was false. I am sorry to have been the aggressor in this situation and hope it will never happen again. I am in all ways supportive of the leaf/sand alliance. However, my offer still stands. The sand is in need of help ridding Wind Country of a certain menace. Perhaps your resources are better then ours. If so, we still humbly request your help. Again,_

_Apologies,_

_Kazekage of the Hidden Sand_

Sandaime dropped the paper like it was on fire. _Oh no…_

**Sunagakure- noon**

The library was made of sandstone. Sun shown inside through square windows (the kind with shutters and no glass) and made the gritty beige walls seem pale yellow. Sleepy shafts of sunlight baked the large mahogany tables where they touched. It felt altogether cool in the library, and comfortable. In the light one could witness dust and particles of sand floating about, especially when someone pulled a book from the many shelves.

Bookcases stretched from the card catalogue at the closed doorway to the back of the room. Each case held tomes categorized by subject and surname of the author. More books then anyone could ever hope to read lined the back and right walls. To the left of the shelves stood a small book rack holding a few volumes waiting to be filed. Also to the left sat three large mahogany tables around which someone had set chairs of the same make and finish. The polished wood was worn but sturdy. No one living could remember the last time something involving so much wood had been commissioned in Sand Village. Each of the tables connected directly to the floor and was Kris-crossed in beams of sunlight from the windows high on the wall beside them.

Under the windows someone tacked a huge yellowed map of the world. A red pin marked Village of the Hidden Sand. On one table sat a globe and the B-Bo drawer of the card catalogue. Only one person visited the library today and she sat at the middle table, legs swinging from a chair. She pushed a pile of newer books to the center of the table, making way for the gargantuan volume she propped up on them.

To Temari the library could have been as old as time. It was a place for silence and peace. Nothing disturbed the serenity within the library. It had been there since before even her father's and it would remain long after Temari died.

She held her bauble high above her head. The blue crystal sparkled and glittered in the light, sending iridescent patterns spinning like tops down the bookshelves and walls. It rotated slowly on the –water chain, capturing light. The jewel looked exactly as it had when Jezzy pressed it into Termari's fists that night on the wall.

Temari hung it back around her neck and continued flipping through the massive textbook. The text book itself took help from the librarian to get down and all of Temari's strength to lug to the table. Emblazoned in calligraphy across the maroon cover was the title, Encyclopedia of Weaponry. The pages combined writing and pictures.

Temari searched for an illustration of her amulet. Jezebel might come again one day. Maybe then she would want the crystal back. Temari would make sure it was safe. However she did want to know what it was she guarded. It had to be something special. It _felt _special. The seven year old pursed her lips. She would have asked Yashamaru but he vanished a few days before. _Daddy might know. He's busy, he's always busy._

One o'clock sun shone on her book. It looked happy, and buttery. Temari yawned. Everyday after academy training for the last two days she had been working on this. Maybe it was time for a snack. Temari heaved the book closed. It thudded shut almost snapping her fingers in its binding. She trotted past the rows of shelves and poked her head out the door, squinting.

The library sat directly across from her Daddy's Office and diagonally from the hospital. _So pretty! _She closed her eyes to protect them from a sandy breeze. _What a pretty day!_ Temari stood in the doorway looking down the street past the hospital, digging around in her pocket a little. Maybe she had a few yen for lunch at a snack bar? Was it open afternoons?

A few medical ninjas stood talking outside the hospital. Temari didn't know them but they waved. Temari waved cheerfully back and decided a late lunch sounded good. She bounced down the stone front steps leading up to the library and meandered down the street, drifting from shaded store front to shaded storefront.

"The village… yesterday,"

"… A man… told us about…"

"Healing… difficult to say…"

"… Amulet… makes healing…,"

Temari walked into an invisible wall. That was it! Her fingers drifted up to the piece around her neck. The medical ninjas saw her turn and dash back to the library.

"She must have forgotten something important," said one.

**The Oasis- minutes later**

"So, we have twelve hours until the leaf and the sand clash? One chunin and one anbu cannot head off a war, not even you Kakashi," Iruka said scathingly. He stood up and began to pace between the water and the fire.

"Ah," Kakashi returned. "But we're not alone, are we? We have little Miss Jezebel in Hell here. However, since it seems she's been rendered powerless, I guess it means we're done too,"

"Did I say she's powerless?" asked Watcher. "No, I said she is no longer dangerous," Jezzy stood unsteadily, planting her hands on her hips.

"Don't talk about me as if I weren't here. Believe it or not, we do speak the same language,"

"It's not your fault you're just a big lump of latent ability,"

"Kakashi!" Watcher raised his voice, it was only the second time he had ever done that. "Look at yourself. Ever since you lost Obito you think you have his blessing. Yeah, you do, but it is NOT going to help you here! You're on your own, little shit. I don't care how good you are. You three better get used to each other and quick because I'm leaving!"

"You're leaving?" Iruka asked quietly. "Where?"

"Anywhere, nowhere, not here,"

"When will you be back?"

"If I had my way I'll never have to see you three again,"

"What?" A definite note of panic stuck in Iruka's throat.

"You have a war to head off," Watcher whistled. The ebony horses came running, kicking up small whirlwinds of dust. Watcher guided them in front of the wagon, stroking their backs slipping halters over each magnificent head.

"You shit!" Jezebel screeched. "You fucking monster!" She stalked up to the wagon. Watcher hitched each horse to the sand covered wagon quickly, sliding the reins into each leather halter.

"Look," said Watcher. He dug around in the bed of the cart for a moment. "I didn't ask for this, neither did you,"

"Couldn't you at least give us a hint as to how the hell we're going to pull this off?" Iruka quipped.

"No," Watcher mounted the wagon, holding whatever it was that he pulled out of the back a few seconds ago. "Here," He shoved something small and fuzzy into Jezebel's arms. "It's a gift from your father. Don't eat it,"

Jezzy slapped at him, but missed.

"If I could, right now you would searching for your head in the next dimension,"

"But you can't. You never could. Yah!" Watcher snapped the reins. The horses took off at a full gallop. Jezebel and Iruka were left coughing in the dust.

Kakashi bolted behind the cart. He kept up until the brush turned to hot sand at the very edge of the oasis, then stopped, breathing heavily and flicked off Watcher's back. Watcher turned and looked back at Kakashi standing there, hands on his knees.

"Pain and desperation!"

Notes:

1. Watcher sent Jezzy to sand village to learn something. She failed to learn it, obviously.

2. Jezzy is not concerned with strength. She does not want to be the strongest or anything. She is angry because someone had the power to take everything away from her.

3. Also, keep in mind; Kakashi and Iruka are only in their late teens. Their personalities, intelligence, and skills still have growing to do before they become the characters they are now.

4. From afternoon until dusk hottest part of the day in the desert, consequently not many people are out. Public places usually close then reopen at dusk.

**Coming next: P You'll just have to read an find out!**

I have to admit I'm sort of angry. One review guys, jeezus. No, never mind I'm not angry, just disappointed. I honestly work hard on my writing. I feel like shit when I don't get review at all.

And for the record, I listen to constructive criticism. I take it seriously and use it to improve my writing.

So, please **review. **I'll give you a muffin if you do so. : P


	10. Hellsinger

I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter.

**_Read and Review please! I will be eternally grateful and probably review your story if you have one._**

**_I take constructive criticism seriously. So feel free to tear this piece apart if need be._**

**I have a humble request. If you are an artist of any kind, would you mind drawing one of the scenes from this story? **

**Also, the name Renji did come from Bleach. I didn't know what to name the character so I called him Renji with every intention of later changing it, but the name stuck.**

**_Hell Singer_**

"What the fuck do we do now?" Kakashi stalked back to camp brushing sand from his hair and neck. This whole scenario felt so wrong. He licked his lips and tasted grit beneath his mask. _A dragon, he says. Well, thanks! A real life lesson for us. "Let's go meet a dragon!" Makes it sound like a fucking picnic. This was not supposed to happen. _He accidentally started a war. A war! He hadn't meant for this. _If I had just fought harder before leaving Konoha…Damn!_

Iruka and Jezebel waited for him. Iruka paced, kicking sand as far as he could with every step, dutifully ignoring Jezebel. He listened but heard only birds and rustling shrubs. Something drank from the nearby water hole, Jezebel tugged at the neckline on Watcher's shirt, and a scent, unique to the desert- sharp and fresh, so much so that if you inhaled hard it might burn your nose- that is if you did not choke first.

Iruka turned around. Kakashi leaned on a palm tree almost directly in front of him. He relaxed, arms crossed and Iruka decided it wasn't worth the effort of being angry with him.

"He's not staying then,"

"He never considered it. He's been planning this from the beginning, that _bastard_," Kakashi inhaled sharply. He had been manipulated into this, like a fool. The subtle shifts between dead heat and sweltering breezes nauseated him. He felt sick of himself, sick of sand, sick of Watcher, sick of Jezebel. And Iruka looked to him for answers. _Well I don't have answers!_ "He did tell me one thing,"

"A hint?"

"Pain and Desperation,"

"What about it?"

"That's what he said, before riding off into the sunset like a movie star gone wrong,"

"Pain and desperation. What has that got to do with anything?"

"You're all talking about me like I'm not here again!" Jezzy had been standing still in the clearing meditating, or doing what looked like meditation to Iruka when he glanced up from pacing. In reality, Jezebel wracked her mind again and again for some sort of magical channel, the existence of which she couldn't even be sure of.

"Does it matter?" Kakashi gritted his teeth beneath his mask. "You still listen. And you obviously never hesitate to be opinionated!" Jezebel flung the black thing she held across the clearing. It landed somewhere with an audible thud. No one turned to look.

The three stood in a silent triangle, each sizing up the other two. Iruka faded into the background under the force of wills between Jezebel and Kakashi. The clearing fell silent. Iruka looked from one to the other. _Erg_...

"Do you _want_ to fight!"

"Yeah," Kakashi ambled over to Jezebel. "Yeah, preferably with someone who won't fall over when I push them," He poked her hard in the shoulder. She rocked back, but didn't fall over, and stared at him defiantly.

Kakashi took a deep breath and shook his head. He reacted to his pressured, fraying nerves. He dealt with this type of situation before, he could do it again. He turned away and walked in the opposite direction, stopping back to Jezebel. _Team work, sensei said. Team work!_

Iruka sighed, a look of relief plain on his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to pick a fight,"

Iruka stepped between the two of them.

"Good, ok then, let's be rational about this-," Jezebel launched herself at Kakashi's back. Iruka felt her wind rush past his face. Kakashi sidestepped and threw a kunai at Jezebel. It hit a thigh, sending a spray of crimson blood onto Watcher's shirt. Jezebel pulled it out. Rivulets of blood began to run down her legs. She ignored this and turned toward Kakashi, eyes narrowed. Kakashi noticed again, the pupils had not changed. He sighed, rather annoyed at himself for reacting to her bait.

"Guys!" Iruka jumped between them, holding both arms out "You need to try-," Jezebel attacked, Iruka focused his chakra in his arms, ready to knock the two apart. The moment never came. Jezebel slammed into the chunin, sandwiching him between herself and Kakashi, the brick wall.

Stars exploded beneath his eyelids. Iruka rolled, clutching his head between clenched fists.

"Erg!" Jezebel bent double scrapping her temples. Kakashi instantly knocked her across the clearing where she landed in unmade futons and didn't get up. _She had some strength reserved, smart. _

Iruka pulled himself to his feet, still massaging his temples, which throbbed like no other. He stood in front of Kakashi.

"What did you think you were doing! What do you have to prove? Jeezus! We're all nervous, but you… you… GROW UP!" Kakashi brushed the expressively ranting Iruka aside and stalked over to their makeshift camp. Jezebel lay on her back in the blankets. She stared up at the clear sky, chest heaving. Kakashi grasped her shoulders and firmly planted her on her feet, holding her upright.

"Look," his nose nearly touched hers. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You just... you punch a few buttons," Jezebel shrugged away from his gauntleted hands

"You meant to hit me. But that's ok because-," She swung at his face mid-word. "I forgive you-," He caught the swing.

"Uhuh, yeah,"

"Hello,"

"What, _Iruka_!" Kakashi glared at him, still holding Jezebel's fist, unperturbed by her efforts to pull loose. Iruka raised his hands, palm up.

"That wasn't me,"

"Well," Jezzy turned away from biting at Kakashi's constantly moving fingers. "Then who the hell was it? There are… Three of us!"

"Four of us, there are four of us,"

"IRUKA-"

"Are you stupid-?"

"I didn't say anything! Did my mouth move? NO!"

"Ahh!" Jezebel shot into the air. A tiny gray ball of fur clung to her calf. Jezzy spun, trying to fling the puff ball away. It released, shot ten feet away, and then padded up to the trio looking mollified.

The little dog sat down and made itself comfortable, back feet sticking out in the same direction. The animal made most house cats look big. It reminded Jezebel strongly of a massive cotton ball. It reminded Iruka of a dirty snowball. It's eyes peeked out from under a fluffy topnotch. It didn't seem to notice the long black ear stuck inside out on top of its head. The puppy wagged its docked, silvery tail and methodically licked its chops. Then it stared at them, head cocked to the side.

_It's CUTE. We ask Watcher for a hint, he gives us random phrases and… _

_A toy poodle._ _One without a stupid haircut, but still a toy poodle!_

_Dad left me That? I'm going to eat That! _

Jezzy nursed her bitten leg where tiny crimson bots had begun to erupt and add the her already oozing thigh. The strange animal licked one fuzzy grey paw.

"I was the one who was talking. Why is that so hard to believe?"

Gai poked his pudding bowl head up into the hot sunlight. He climbed up the ridge on top of the squad's little rise and peaked over. From here he saw everything. The horizon stretched on forever, endless and unfathomable. A halfway risen sun reflected on everything, forcing Gai to shield his eyes with a hand. It beat down on his crispy red ears and on the desert causing shimmering waves of heat to float up from the sand.

Gai squinted, he could just make out a spot eclipsed by shadows. He wondered what it was. It did not move so Gai, quickly bored, continued his scan of the area. A tiny bit closer small clouds of dust billowed up across the plain. Gai stared at these awhile. They moved, the dust springing up proved it. A caravan of travelers? Or shinobi coming to evict the Leaf from their land?

Closer still Gai could see the infamous water puddle. He turned left, then right, scanning. He heard nothing, not even breeze; the world filled itself with dead heat (the kind that weighs on you until you can't move). He stuck out his tongue, tasting dry sand-scented air. Then he looked directly down the rise.

Boulders and small rocks littered the sides. On the back, where Gai crouched, the hill sloped gently down. But this craggy side shielded them from view. In the midst of tan and brown boulders little animals crawled amongst the rocks and tiny prickly pears. Scorpions, ants, not much else; the cactuses and gravel ended at the far side of the water hole. Beyond that sand spread out on its merry way to nowhere.

Gai imagined Kakashi's sudden appearance on the slope. He would go bounding down to Kakashi, arms out. Then they would have a jolly battle and Kakashi would lose yet again. He would walk away, head hanging, Gai would pose for any resident cameras, and all would be well with the world.

He froze in sudden horror. Someone was climbing up the slope. The someone crept n utter silence. He blent in perfectly with the shadows cast between boulders. Had he not moved Gai would never have noticed him at all; not by sound, not by smell. His movements reminded Gai strongly of a cat slipping between the rocks. Not once did gravel crunch or sand give way. The shinobi stopped about one hundred yards away, nearly fading from sight entirely. He would know that from the top of the rise he could see everything, including the anbu squad.

Gai studied him. Bandages wrapped around his arms to the elbow and legs. Not a symbol of unhealthiness. Instead of the average shinobi sandal he wore a pair of lace up boot with a thick heavily treaded sole. Some jutsu prevented them from leaving tracks in the sand. He tied his shuriken holster on the left leg. On his back rested a katana. The once silver hilt shone shiny and black where it peaked from more gauze wrappings.

Gai processed all of this in about six seconds. _A sand scout! He has to be! _Gai readied himself to attack, grabbing a kunai from his holster. A risky move, the sand shinobi would know that land and how to use it to his advantage, but he would also be confident. Thus, in his strength, his weakness. He would not be expecting an attack. Gai shifted his weight slightly.

The sand ninja froze, looking up. Gai ducked. The shinobi scrutinized the ridge shielding Gai. He sensed something, but could see nothing, which meant nothing. He felt carefully with his unbandaged fingertips for the next handhold. _Shit!_

Something hard and cold poked into the back of his neck. A blade, he knew immediately.

"You move and I will kill you," said Gai. The ninja licked his lips. "Drop your weapon," The ninja released the kunai he grabbed last second. Gai thrust him around so they were faced each other and ripped the shuriken holster from the man's leg with one of his own shuriken. The gauze came apart like paper in his fingers. He unstrapped the sword from the sand shinobi's back and hefted it over his own shoulders. The weight surprised him.

"Have you got anything else?"

"No," Gai turned him again to face up the rise and poked the back of his neck. "Walk forward. Move and I promise you will never move again,"

Renji believed this. The strange shinobi appeared behind him only milliseconds after being ahead of him.

"Ok," he said. He intertwined his fingers behind his head. "Ok, I'm going,"

Renji worked as a field jounin for Sunagakure. He had, as Gai originally surmised been a scout, one who recently applied for anbu consideration. He wore bandages across his arms and down his thighs to his calves protecting against sunburn. Most of his spiky flame red hair peaked out of linen wrapped unevenly around his head and ponytail. The bandages even circled over his hitae-ate for fear of the sun reflecting off it. Brown eyes glared out of a face so tan it it looked like new leather, making his hair stand out even more brilliantly. He no longer wore his supply pack and his belt felt naked without it.

The lead squad tied his half bandaged hands behind his back. Now he knelt in a short, squat, makeshift tent awaiting… whatever. What were leaf anbu doing in Wind Country anyway? Renji flicked his tongue across the roof of his mouth finding it parched dry.

One leaf anbu stood in the tent with him. The man looked imposing, from the back anyway. Maybe 6'4." His presence filled the tent completely. Renji locked his jaw, resigned. The anbu wore black leather gloves- he must be sweating- visible every time he ruffled the papers on a collapsible table. On the back of his head perched the anbu mask and under that a leaf hitai-ate worn bandana style. His biceps were greasy, probably from anti-sun oil, and ended in gauntlets that covered his forearms. He turned and fixed piercing black eyes on Renji.

"Water?" Renji shook his head, _no_. If it came from the nearby spring it usually needed purification first. "Don't worry, it's safe. We tested it,"

"No," his throat rasped a little.

"Ok then," the man paced around him, getting a good look at the kneeling jounin from all angles. "My name is Morino Ibiki. I'm an anbu captain for Konohagakure. You have something that belongs to me," Ibiki watched for a flicker of recognition in the man's eyes. Nothing. No recognition. No confusion. Just emptiness. Ibiki continued.

"Who are you?"

"Renji of the Sand,"

"Spectacular katana my colleague brought in, perfectly balanced,"

"I'd like it back," Why is he talking about my katana?

"Was it your mother's? Father's?"

"It's mine,"

"A gift?"

"No,"

"A token or prize of some sort?"

"It was given to me-,"

"A gift then-,"

"- by an enemy, a leaf shinobi,"

"A prize. I thought the scrollwork looked familiar,"

"Yes, a prize,"

"And what would be your ideal prize?"

"A life,"

"Whose?"

"Not yours,"

"Do you believe in a life of freedom?"

"Yes, what does that have to do with anything?"

"If an enemy of yours, a leaf shinobi, was taken prisoner and put in custody, is that right?"

"Of course,"

"What if that person had nothing to do with your battle and was entirely innocent?"

"He's still an enemy,"

"If you kept the shinobi in custody is he living a life of freedom?"

"No,"

"So you believe he should not be living a life of freedom?"

"No, yes!"

"So you don't believe in a life of freedom?"

"No, wait! Yes… No- what?"

"So the captured shinobi should not have freedom?"

"No freedom,"

"So you don't believe in a life of freedom?"

"Yes,"

"Where is the real prisoner?" Renji's eyes flicked to the upper left. Recall.

"I don't know,"

Ibiki sighed, blowing air out of his cheeks. He learned almost nothing. Renji had the rank to know of prisoners, but either he didn't know or he had forgotten.

Ibiki thrust the tent flap open and stalked out leaving Renji in the cool shade collecting inside the tent. Renji knelt, slight tremors rocked his body. Renji's very presence told Ibiki one thing. The sand shinobi were moving and, judging from Gai's description of the plains, they would be here in a few hours.

Anko waited patiently for Ibiki to come out. Patience, she reflected, was painful. Ibiki waved Anko into the tent to bring water for the Sand Ninja as soon as he exited.

Inside Renji stared at the ground in front of his knees. One song kept playing through his head. It had nothing to do with anything. His skull ached and he couldn't tell if it were suddenly overfilled or completely empty. He gasped, eyes wide. A small sliver of saliva dripped spinning from his lips. It caught the triangle of light from the doorway and sent iridescent colors spinning on the canvas walls. He bent to wipe his mouth in his shirt collar.

What had that Anbu done? So many questions. The ache in his head. He had been caught (that much he knew) in an elenchus. How much had he told Morino? What had he said? Morino… he was a medical nin of some kind. Had to be. _That was not a normal team leader._

Another member of the coterie came through the tent flap, closing it this time. Renji looked up and unconsciously steadied himself on his knees.

This female anbu wore gritty sandals and khaki shorts that ended right below her knees. Over her white stomach stretched fish netting and above that, the desert anbu uniform. She used her hitai-ate to hold back spiky black hair and wore her mask on top of her head at a jaunty angle.

_Look how cute I am. And now, you die! _His amusement was belied immediately as he studied her dark eyes. They concealed a haunted look. She had once been hurt. Horribly.

Ibiki ran his fingers over the ebony scrollwork that made up the hilt of Arabai Renji's Katana. Very plain curves, with silver so tarnished it became black. Someone had imprinted trains of Ivy down leather sheath. Ibiki wondered where the sword had come from. He pulled at the hilt. And he tugged again. The sword would not separate from the scabbard.

"Gai, take a look at this," Gai reached for the katana.

"Ah!" It thudded to the sand, where it stuck straight up, tendrils of smoke curling around the hilt. Gai raised an eyebrow. "You're wearing gloves,"

"Nice sword though. I get the feeling it'd be a pleasure to fight with. Anko, you look flushed,"

"I'm fine… Renji did say it was _his_ sword, didn't he?"

"You talked to him?"

"A little," Anko worked a rock out of her sandal. "I only told him he'd be ok. He's angry and pretty confused," _It's making me feel kinda guilty for holding him here._

"Yeah," Ibiki sighed. "Except, the sand doesn't have Kakashi. Or if they do, Renji doesn't know about it,"

Anko nodded.

Footsteps thundered down the rise and Genma skidded to a stop, spraying grit everywhere.

"The Sand!"

Iruka held his jaw closed

"Guys?" said the puff ball. Iruka tapped his fists against his forehead. _Sanity? Check. Sanity? Check. Check. Check…_

_Ok… A talking poodle. Deal with it. Besides, _Kakashi smiled, _I like dogs._ Only most dogs don't look like large dirty snowballs.

He unconsciously placed an arm in front of Jezebel. She had a sort of questionable look in her eyes again. Probably hunger.

"Who are you?" He tried. The puppy cleared it's throat and straightened a little.

"I am Lord P.S, former emissary to the divine and current companion of Itako Jezebel," Jezzy turned to Iruka.

"What is P. S?"

"I'm a dog!"

"Look," said Kakashi. "That's fine, but we're a little busy right now. So, unless you've got something important to say, please, shut up!"

"Fine, fine! You guys go get beaten to a pulp. I'll stand by and watch,"

"Ok," Iruka beckoned Jezzy and Kakashi to him. Jezzy made a point of standing opposite of Kakashi. "Watcher said "pain and desperation," so we need to know what that means,"

"Suppose," called P.S. "That desperation meant how one feels prior to going for a walk. Or maybe-,"

"Shut up, you stupid puppy!" Jezebel hissed.

"Or maybe. It refers to the feeling one has when-,"

"Hold it!" Iruka pushed Kakashi and Jezzy aside. "_You_ know what Watcher's message means!"

"I know what Watcher's message means," Puppy Spaz did a dog style grin, all glistening pearly teeth.

"Guys!" Iruka turned to them. "Think about it! Look, you know about latent ability, right?"

"Yeah, apparently I have a lot of it,"

"Sure,"

P.S. did a dog style shrug. "Come on guys… put it together… Jezebel's power was taken and put where?"

"Pain and- I got it," Kakashi's face spread into a wicked grin. Iruka backed up. "Sometimes when a kid is backed into a corner with no way out, latent abilities burst through, forced out by pain and the knowledge that they're going to die" The three stared at Jezzy.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm not stupid. I'm NOT just going to let you beat the hell out of me,"

"P.S. you know what you're doing, right?" asked Iruka.

"_Lord_ P.S! And yes, I know what I'm doing!"

"Jezzy…" Iruka looked a little sad. Kakashi scuffed a sandal, impatient. Sand slid between his toes.

"Sorry Jezebel," Kakashi leaped at the narrow eyed girl. She screeched and threw herself to the sand. Iruka grabbed Kakashi's elbow.

"We're not trying to kill her,"

"I know," Iruka looked doubtful. "I promise,"

P.S. curled himself into a ball in someone's bedroll and yawned. It wasn't _his _problem if they killed each other. He didn't know either of the two shinobi and didn't care to.

Iruka took out a kunai and circled Jezebel, mimicking Kakashi. She stood, hands planted on her hips, unable to see both of them at the same time. Kakashi dove aiming for her abdomen. She swung at him but her fist whistled through empty air. At the last second Kakashi stopped dead in front of her. She stumbled, knocked off balance by the force of her intended blow. Iruka anticipated this and struck from behind. He punched a kunai into her shoulder blade and pulled down her back, leaving a heaving canyon of split flesh.

"Arg!" Jezebel arched. Blood welled up like lava erupting from a volcano. She dodged sideways, between the boys, squeezing her shoulder blades together so the blood could clot- which it did.

Again the boys circled. Unwilling to fall for the same obvious trick twice Jezebel bolted away and stopped when her feet got caught in a blanket. _Huh? How_? There was Iruka, right in front of her. But Kakashi? Where?

Iruka made a seal with his fingers. Bunshin no jutsu. So easy. Five other Irukas appeared next to him, advancing with deadly purpose.

_They're not going to kill me. They need me. They're not going to kill me. They-_

_"Arg!"_She felt a tug at her ankles. A sudden movement and her face hit the blanket. Sand; in her clogged nose, her blind eyes, her mouth. She choked. Her hands? Something held them down. Her eyes burned from grit in the blanket. Legs? Yes! She kicked out. Thud! A hit!

"Rowr!" Jezebel's ankle burned as P.S. latched on to it (though he released immediately afterward "What a nasty flavor!").

Her lungs were collapsing, like electricity branching from lightening. Her heart worked overtime, trying to tap dance out of her rib cage, through her breasts and over the sand. Her nose burned. _Air! Let me have air!_

"They have Kakashi! Hokage would never have sent us here if he wasn't sure," The collapsible table shuttered as Ibiki slammed his fist into it. Anko pressed her fingers to her temples. This mission started to get to her as soon as she had been sent on it. Something to do with the lack of trust people instilled in her. Anko's skin still crawled from dark chakra.

So rare to see her commanding officer like this. Everyone else had showed how pissed they were that Kakashi went missing, after Hokage told them their missions was to find him. Ibiki never let anyone see a crack in his iron exterior. He had cracks up the wazoo now. Ibiki clenched his fist. Anko braced herself for a storm.

"The problem is, I'm not even sure Hokage was right. Maybe I'm reading the sand kid wrong. I'm going to question him again,"

Anko licked her lips. She felt bad for Renji. After spending an hour nursing him how could she not? It's not like either of them harbored anti-social tendencies. He seemed a capable ninja, getting caught like this must be a bitch. She also knew what was to come. Ibiki had no respect for those who couldn't keep secrets. And Renji… Well, Renji was human.

Anko didn't protest as Ibiki went to relieve Genma as Renji's guard. Instead she pressed her forhead in her hands. Her team, so different from the rest of the village. The majority of Konoha scorned her.

Kakashi. He and Ibiki had been the first two to trust her like that. They brought her back into the world of Konoha. Her brothers… _What the-? Going all sentimental like that! Be alive Kakashi. Please, be alive._

She massaged her temples. The Sand arrived about two hours ago. And her team prepared for an attack, but one never came. Instead, Baki told the team "This sand contingent had been called for a single purpose. That purpose is to hunt an internal menace." So they claimed. And they asked about Renji. Ibiki denied ever seeing him.

Wicked accusations flew from both sides. ("Get the hell out of our country!" "We can't leave until our mission is complete," "You must leave. Otherwise we will be forced to make you," "Bring it!"). The voices circled around Anko's head like dead fish floating on murky pond water. Her ineloquent speech shone with clarity, even in her own mind.

Now, both groups of shinobi waited for the stalemate to break. A theoretical line had been drawn between the two camps and woe to whoever crosses it. This tense silence left Anko relieved' at least she didn't have Ibiki's job. Negotiating uneasy peace could be tricky business.

"Well," she whispered, a little belated. "Wait a few hours," What had happened to her priorities? Her gut instinct told her Renji knew nothing, and Anko listened to her gut instincts.

She picked up Renji's katana by the sheath. It had been leaning innocently against the table. She caressed it with her finger tips and palms. The sheath felt warm to the touch, like bathwater.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGG!"

"Why?" Jezebel lay on her back in the sand watching the sky spin around above her and waiting for her stomach to slip through her bowls and into the sand where it would evaporate.

"Why what?" Iruka rested with his hands on his knees, sides heaving. Kakashi disappeared, presumably for water. Jezebel flitted around somewhere on the edge on consciousness. "Water you talking about? I mean, what?"

"Why do…" she breathed heavily. "All this?" Iruka raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well, if we don't, a whole lot of innocent people might die,"

"Yeah, but why?"

"Why what?"

"Why does it matter?"

Iruka blinked. How would someone explain that? It wasn't something that _could _be described; not the emotions that were involved. People… they look out each other. But, that didn't really explain anything. Iruka tasted each word before answering.

"Because, that's what people do. They care about each other,"

Kakashi ambled back into the clearing and splashed Iruka with water from a wooden bucket. Then he set it down. He pulled his fingerless gloves off one digit at a time and dunked his hands in the water. He sipped through cupped fingers, watching Jezebel.

They had been at this for a while now. Jezebel had shown extraordinary resilience to a beating, remaining conscious for most of it. Even Kakashi sweated like a pig, though that could be because of midday heat.

Iruka sweated too. Only he had not just started feeling fatigued. It took copious amounts of precision and energy to control every strike. He motioned for Kakashi to bring the water to Jezebel but Kakashi raised an eyebrow, _no_. Instead, he left it near P.S., so the tiny poodle could drink if he could reach inside the bucket and not fall in.

Finished, Kakashi stalked over to Jezebel. Iruka gulped.

Kakashi wrapped his partially gloved fingers through Jezebel's nightshirt and jerked her to her feet. Iruka looked away as her head snapped back and the shirt flew up her scummy thighs. Kakashi shoved her backwards, forcing her to stand on her own.

"Again,"

Gaara liked the sun. He enjoyed the way it shown through the window and poured like milk over the faded pastel bedspread. Gaara thought maybe he would like to be like sunlight and fade and disappear when things became dark and grey. They felt that way now.

The little boy pressed his face between Snookums's ears. His head folded in in traditional stuffed animal style. First Jezebel, then Yashamaru, now Temari. His family disappeared on him, which was ok as long as Snookums never left.

"It's hard to understand," he said. Snookums nodded. "Our family went places. I want them to come back,"

"Me too," said Snookums.

"I need to ask Yashamaru about-,"

"Pain?" said Snookums.

"No," said Gaara. "Jezebel. Why did she leave?... She talks about pain all the time, like it's special," He hugged the bear hard against him. Snookums's button eyes bulged.

The two boys reclined in their mother's room watching sunlight filter through dust. One sat cross-legged on the bed, while the other occupied his lap. Next to them Gaara piled mounds of gauze and a pair of scissors.

"Hold still," ordered Gaara. "This won't hurt a bit,"

"Ok," said Snookums. "You're the doctor," Gaara cut a short piece of the coarse white material.

"What hurts?"

"My neck," said Snookums. "Oh, ow! It huuurrrts!"

"Hold still!" Gaara wrapped the white linen around the little bear's neck. "Is it to tight? What does it feel like?"

"Not to tight. It's a little itchy. Dr. Gaara I'm cured!" Snookums danced around to demonstrate how good he felt and bumped into the night table.

"Be careful!" Too late! A large book slid off and thudded to the floor, creating a mushroom cloud of dust. Gaara sneezed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Snookums!" He rolled onto his stomach and hung his head off the bed, (his hair stood on end from static electricity) looking for Snookums. "Are you ok?" he asked when he found the floppy bear.

"I'm ok Dr. Gaara. Look what I found," Gaara took the massive book from Snookums and set it on his lap, where it covered his legs completely. Tiny gold stars smattered over the sepia brown cover. The book It had no title scrawled across the front. Gaara pulled the cover open.

Jezebel squeezed her eyes shut tight. Nausea filled her stomach and bile rose to the back of her throat. She swallowed it. Her eyes itched uncontrollably, throat so constricted her breathes came in gasps. The sensations horrified her almost as much as the thoughts that came with them. Worse than Watcher slamming his staff into her side, more agonizing than Yashamaru's fingers on her stomach, and far more painful even, then Watcher's fingers circling her neck.

"There is always someone stronger." Jezebel never even stopped to consider these words. She marched headlong into a trap. Had she stopped to think she would have noticed, but she never did. It just wasn't possible that Watcher would be waiting. After all, he brought her to Sand Village.

But it was possible. Jezebel raised a hand to her heart, which expanded against her chest. She wanted to scream but her throat closed up tight. Then she gasped and water ran down her face. She tasted it on her lips and tongue. Salt water poured nonstop onto the front of the shirt that was not hers and mixed with the saliva dribbling through her lips and the crimson mucus flowing free from her nose. With another gasp her voice broke free. She choked and hiccupped until it hurt to breath. The feeling of utter defeat dissipated. It left her head hallow.

And then Jezebel got angry.

Malice burbled like vomit from her toes to her head. Exquisite pain and pleasure in a rolling orgasm of power. She saw each pearl of sweat roll down Iruka's brow and Kakashi, now she could witness his strikes. He appeared next to her and she dodged. He swished harmlessly by. Jezebel heard the wind. She heard PS snoring, Iruka's breathing and she smelled stagnant water, sharp sweat, and tiny fresh flowers. Raw chakra slid through her system like acid, with nowhere to go.

Screaming, inside her head. Thousands of voices cried for attention, each one inarticulate and demanding. Jezebel clutched her splitting head in her arms and sunk to the sand. The shrieks intensified to an avalanche-like roar. And then the voices no longer yelled.

Human voices, singing- sharp, dull, alto, seductive, mezzo, bass, off pitch- thousands and thousands of them, each uttering a different song. Her head filled with voices that threatened to crack her skull and burst out of her cranium like a dropped watermelon. The thousand singers blended in perfect sync with each other, as if they had planned this from the beginning, this… melody. It was an ancient lullaby with neither a name, nor words, sung on a neutral syllable. The kind that has existed since the beginning of time and will persist until there is but one mother left humming to her child- the end.

Jezebel could see nothing and hear nothing but the voices that glutted her ears. The sublime melody reached out and called to her.

It welled through her fallowing ready made paths, escaped down her arms and burst from her fingertips like water from floodgates thrown open. And there, among the torrent was her voice. Jezebel listened to her own rasp struggling to blend with the majesty of perfection, grasping at straws.

The song shifted again as other voices joined it, harsh in comparison, even to hers. There was yelling and then a burst of pain. Lights flashing before Jezebel's eyes from a distance. And then everything froze. Dead stopped. The music. Gone. It left her head echoing. Her body tingled as if the limbs had fallen asleep. She realized at some point, that she was standing and now, every muscle bordered on falling from her bones. Her breath rattled in her chest and liquidy knees buckled.

Warmth enveloped Jezzy. She looked up at the sky pin wheeling above, so far away, and closed her eyes on the dizzying sky. Warm, touching her cheek, like… _a spider_. Hot air near her ears, murmuring… something… sleep…

"Why did you try so hard when you can't even understand why?"

**THANK YOUS! **holds out muffin tray Pick one.

A muffin for **Sky Spade **because she/he reviewed!

**Ester- **Thank you very much. I realize my feelings were completely unwarranted, and not only that, I used a public venue to vent them (which is a BIG no-no). So please take this as an apology. Thank you. Also, the bit about the OC character, I know that some people don't like OC's, that was a risk I took when I started writing the story. I figured I would just make my OC good enough so people would _like _her. Thanks for reading on past chapter one. I did cheer up : p

Answers to **crazy-antman's** questions:

Jezzy is the byproduct of a human and a dragon demigod. At least, that was my original plan. However, I started this story several months ago and then left it hanging. My plans have changed a bit. Also, each bondee has two people bonded to them. Jezzy's mother had two, but the other is not important right now. Does this help? Thanks for your thoughts!

**Jan-chan- **Thanks so much. Pick a muffin! You'll have an e-mail coming right atcha!

If you want a story **Lisa, **all you have to do is ask. What do you want it about? E-mail me: p. I think I will keep writing, thank you. Muffin?

**REVIEW PLEASE I love to hear your thoughts and I take constructive feedback seriously.**

"Why did you try so hard when you can't even understand why?"


	11. Helldancer

**_The words for the poem Temari says come from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, 1798. The music is Adagio for Strings (Agnus Dei). E-mail me if you'd like a translation of explanation._**

Hell Dancer

(Italics mean thoughts or things happening in sand village, or in music)

_Agnus dei….._

The scent of battle hung in the air like crimson haze. Genma crouched low in the midst of fighting shinobi, jutsus, weaponry, and shouting. He stood poised, back to the ridge that once shielded their campsite. If he pressed close enough to the sand wall maybe nobody would notice him.

Nope. No such luck. Genma sensed the presence of a sand shinobi seconds before the enemy jumped him. Though the flaxen haired opponent came at him from behind (he had leapt down the ridge) Genma dodged. He sighed, and ducked again. Pretty good day for a battle, could only be better if things weren't so goddamn hot.

Things erupted quickly after Genma traded his guard dog post with Ibiki. He waited outside while Renji screamed. Ibiki came away white face. He had been wrong of course, and he knew it. Now the consequences belonged to him. Genma chewed his lower lip and blocked a strike with a shuriken. Ibiki was not a politician, but _goddamn_! He _knew_ that Hokage had not just sent them here for Kakashi. Why had he provoked this battle?

Genma ducked through the sand healer's guard (a healer? Was the sand that low on shinobi?) and cut his cheek with a kunai. The shinobi carried extra packs for various medicines and healing components. Genma cocked his head, not looking his adversary in the eye, (it's hard to kill someone after you've done that) but judging the stance and body. This man was older then he, and probably did not even go on field missions anymore. So why had he come on this one? Must be _some _enemy the sand hunted…

Genma gritted his teeth. His patience began to wear thin with this slow circular dance. It felt like sparing, only with one's life on the line (except the life wasn't his).

Someone recognized Renji's voice and it became an attack-first-ask-questions-later-situation. Rolls reversed, and all of a sudden the sand knew the leaf kidnapped their scout, in a country where they were forbidden to be. Not to mention the lie Ibiki told Baki ("No, we haven't seen him"). Well, at least now Genma knew why Hokage generally did not send people on missions they cared about. Emotions tend to get tangled up. He wondered why Hokage had sent _them_.

Genma backed up, sick of this stupid dance. He felt the slope of sand rubbing against his back. His fingers formed a vaguely familiar seal. The sand shinobi began to cast a counter seal but time ran out. Genma never got to see what the shinobi's counter was. The sand around him solidified. He got lucky so much gusted around in the air today, because all of it morphed into an impenetrable cocoon. He could see out, but no one could see in.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, he felt it under his arms, and down his back. Genma locked his jaw in an effort to hold the jutsu for just a few more seconds. _One. Two. Three. Release! _

The shield exploded outward like a bomb.

_Qui toll is…_

_Kankuro smiled for the camera. His dimples showed like deep laugh lines in his cheeks, especially since during the shot he froze pulling Temari's hair. His little fingers twisted through it in the heinous act. Temari's six year old face locked for the picture in an ear splitting screech of protest, pert mouth open, cheeks and nose contorted in displeasure, and eyes shut in painful annoyance. Kankuro used her hair to pull himself up on the counter one day and Yashamaru caught the shot in all its glory._

_Pecata…_

Genma winced as any shinobi within ten meters were rocketed backwards by the shockwave. A tidal wave of sand rose up and blasted away the surrounding area (not that Genma had ever seen a real tidal wave, but he imagined that it would look like this, a wall of water, a wall of sand). Genma immediately crouched low and waited for the dust to settle, now would be an ideal to time to rush him, when he couldn't see. His eyes teared from sand and wind. He pulled his bandana over his head and tied it across his nose. At least he could breathe now.

He bounced from foot to foot. The sand began to settle and what he saw made him grin a little. He stood in the middle of a deep crater, up to his waist, and around him bodies lay sprawled. A bomb, post- detonation.

_Mundi…_

"For Kakashi!" Gai mowed down a bunch of Sand Shinobi then bounced on the balls of his feet, looking in all directions. "Who's next to Challenge the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha! Huh!" A gloved hand closed on his wrist and twisted. ERG! Gai felt a burning sensation. He kicked out, but Baki's grip remained tight. He twisted and leaped to free himself, but Baki only clenched, if possible, tighter. Gai's breath rasped from the exertion of trying to keep his wrist in one piece. He would have to stop soon and Baki would have his opportunity.

But Baki didn't wait for Gai to stop. He waited just until Gai's maneuvers slowed down sufficiently. Snap. Went Gai's wrist. Gai gritted his teeth. Damn! That hurts! The wrist hung at an awkward angle, perpendicular to Gai's forearm. He darted back from Baki, who gave him a half assed grin.

"You're fast. But not as fast as wind," Baki drew his fingers back to create a deadly blade of air.

_Mis se re-re…_

Kakashi over turned the water bucket above his head. The remaining cool liquid coursed over his face and down the back of his neck, soaking his shirt; good for later. He opened his mouth to catch some of it. Next to him, Iruka shook out his head like a dog, spraying droplets and making his hair protrude in thick dark spikes. Then he tied it back into a ponytail and sat next to Kakashi against the palm tree near camp.

"Oh man," said Kakashi. He grinned. "That was harder than I thought'd be." Iruka was not falling for this feigned confidence. Not happening. They had things galore to worry about. _If Kakashi had half a brain he'd be scared, and he HAS to have at least half a brain. Anbu doesn't except idiots, end of story._

"That was horrible," Iruka corrected. "I felt like I was beating up myself. And when I didn't feel like that, I was kicking a kitten. Where's the glory in kicking a kitten?" Kakashi grimaced.

"I'm supposed to do whatever it takes to protect the leaf. And I know where my loyalties lie,"

"Yourself?"

"My village," Kakashi sighed, instead of retorting. "I still can't believe this." _And worse, I think I'm blaming myself. _

"So," said Iruka. "That didn't hurt at all?"

"I felt kind of bad beating up a girl, but if you mean those lovey- dovey feelings inside or something… Nothing whatever,"

"I was being literal. I swear, half the time I was hitting myself. Every time we hurt Jezzy I _felt_ it,"

"Sorry, I didn't feel a thing. You held up well. But if it was really that painful why'd you help me?"

"If I didn't you'd look like an asshole, and this is a team effort…" _Right, _thought Kakashi, _a team effort. _"And I have to believe in the bond because if I don't believe I _know_ I'm insane,"

"You actually feel that connection… I'd hoped Watcher was just… I don't know… There are too many reasons why this has to be true. Why would he make all that up? I know, bad case of denial, right here"

"Yeah… Don't you wonder why I'm not unconscious?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I blocked the connection, Kakashi. She was yelling in my head and I cut her off. Do you think we should revive her now?"

"Not yet, we have a few hours. Well, if it's real, I'm not saying it is, but if it's real, what did it feel like?" Iruka considered this. It wasn't like a voice inside his head, just a sort of momentary presence whose physical sensations he could feel… And emotions. Jezebel's emotions haltered into his head sounding a lot like confused yelling. And Iruka could understand confusion.

"I guess I just wanted her out of my head. I thought ENOUGH," he emphasized the word. "And it was like a wall slammed down between my head and Jezzy's presence. Now I'm by myself again."

"You didn't hear voices?"

"I promise I did not hear one voice,"

_Mi se re-re…_

"No!" Gai shielded his head behind his arms, ready to attempt to catch or dodge the blade. But how did one catch a blade on air? The blade sliced toward him, invisible but he could feel it's impending force. Gai took a deep breath. _Wait for it, wait for it_. _Now_! He bolted sideways. Baki's blade surged into a cloud of dust, missing Gai cleanly. Gai grinned at the pissed look on Baki's face. "I'm faster,"

_Mi se re-re…_

Kakashi had not imagined the cooling breeze that penetrated his body. It swept through with a gentle melody that rose and fell in the background. Through, not around, like a caress. His heart beat in perfect tandem with the music, which reminded him of warm hands, the faint lub-dub of heartbeats, and gentle whispers. He wondered why he stood there, trying to gather fleeting thoughts.

Genjutsu! He dug his nails into his palm, nothing like pain to break the spell. He felt a little pain and stopped. Why had he done that? Now was time to relax and sleep.

He looked at Iruka, who grinned and waved, and then at Jezzy who stood between them singing… Her voice, Kakashi realized. _But, why does she look so angry?_ That's what's wrong. _How could she be upset now?_

"Jezzy, hey Jezzy!" His voice sounded hollow and distant. Bothersome. He knelt in the sand. When had he gotten to his knees? His heart began to beat out of time with the music. And it hurt. No! He wrenched himself up and staggered sideways, feeling like a child who has to rip their tongue away from a frozen water pump, dragging his limbs like weights.

"Jezebel," He could sleep now, with all his desires granted. "Jezebel!" He tripped, shuffling into her. She rocked and caught her balance, concentration broken.

_Nobis…_

Kakashi glanced sideways at Iruka. If that had been allowed to continue they would both have died, right there.

_Agnus dei…_

Anko's fist connected with some sand dude's mouth. There was a sickening crunch as sticky teeth folded around her fist, giving way to warm squishy gums. Her hand came away extra bloody with tiny yellow teeth clinging to the knuckles.

_Qui tollis…_

**1 hour later:**

The Reluctant Quartet stood at the top of the rise watching wreckage in the making. Both Kakashi and Iruka looked at Jezzy as if expecting something from her. She suppressed the urge to tell them that she didn't know what was supposed to be happening.

"Erg," said P.S.

"You're wondering why I stayed with you and actually tried back there? What else could I do? I have nothing; I might as well try to find something!"

_Pecata…_

"Arg!" Someone body slammed Baki from behind, right into Gai's waiting arms.

_Mundi_…

_"And this," said Gaara. "Is Uncle Yashamaru. He doesn't look like me at all,"_

_Mi se re-re…_

"Miss Jezebel, pick yourself up,"

"Do you think if you sing again you'll find your chakra?"

"I don't want to."

_Mi se re-re…_

"_This is my old pet cat, Gatchi. I liked him. He was good. Once he tried to scratch me and the sand got him."_

_Mi se re-re…_

Renji found himself back to back with a sand shinobi he did not know. Nothing else mattered right now because they were both in really deep shit. Anko stood before them and her mood previously bad mood had gotten worse.

_Nobis…_

"This isn't going to work?"

"There's too much going on,"

"We're too late then! How many already died?"

"Why do you care?"

"This again?"

"Yeah this again,"

"You're going to have to figure that out,"

"I can't,"

"Think,"

"Nope,"

"Guys! Kakashi, we need to get down there,"

_Agnus dei…_

Ibiki heard someone call his name. Anko?

_Qui tollis…_

_"And this is you and me, Snooks, see us waving?"_

_pecata…_

"I'm not wasting all my energy on this,"

"You have to. If we three go down there we'll be slaughtered. Well, maybe not Kaskashi, but P.S. and I will be,"

"What does it matter?" Kakashi gripped her shoulders and shook, hard. Her head snapped back.

"People die in war! People die!" Iruka put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

"She can't possibly understand. But," he turned to Jezzy. "You have a reason to help us, don't you?"

_mundi…_

_"Look at us! Remember how much fun it was to jump in puddles?"_

_Dona nobis…_

All motion slowed to a primordial ooze as Jezebel's voice filled the air. Great rolling waves of chakra boiled out from some hidden reserve within her.

Kakashi and Iruka clapped hands over their ears, blocking the enchanting sound. Shinobi below them knelt or look around in unadulterated happiness, and P.S. laid down in the sand. He rested his gray chin in the dirt and pressed his curly paws to his ears, holding them down airplane style against the ground.

_Dona nobis…_

_"Who's that, Snooks? She looks like Yashamaru. Snookums, hey, Snookums, it's Mommy, I think it's mommy!"_

_Dona…_

Iruka bolted down into the slow motion fray, hands still firmly clasped to his ears. He would be a voice when all fighting came to a halt. Kakashi watched him, then turned his attention to Jezebel. Her eyes were unfocused, lost in a world that only she could hear. Kakashi worried that if she did not come out instead of stopping injury she would instead create death. She seemed talented in that department.

_Nobis…_

Hokage leaned back in his massive desk chair and looked out the window. The sky glowed rosy with twilight and shadowed clouds. Sandaime shivered in spit of the warm breeze drifting through open windows. He felt it, far to the west. Chakra swelled to mountainous proportions, he felt it from a distance and the strength stunned him.

He shook out a blue velvet cloth that had been draped over his all seeing crystal.. The orb showed him a window to the present. One girl, her mouth open, though he could not hear her voice. He pictured the massive charka spilling out of her like water from a dam. He dropped the cerulean cloth back over the crystal and paused before turning to the visitor darkening his doorway.

The man wore garb generally attributed to desert living, his face composed of crevices and cracks, and in his left hand he held a half empty bottle. His eyes hid nothing yet revealed even less and while Hokage could feel no charka emanating from this man, he knew it was there lying dormant and cat quiet until called upon.

"Please, Hokage-sama may I present Jezebel in Hell,"

_Pachem…_

_Night was moonless in the desert and Temari would not have been able to see that hand in front of her face if not for the heavy flashlight she held. After she made sure her daddy thought she was asleep Temari whipped out the flashlight she snuck into bed. From under the mattress she revealed a large picture book and tucked it into bed as well. Now the little girl burrowed into a tent of pale blue covers flipping like mad through the volume._

_She supposed if she were to stop she would be tired, the clock next to her bed read 12:30 before she burrowed into her tent. Yet, she was nowhere near sleeping. The medical nins from yesterday had given her the idea. A healing item! It had to be._

_Temari could see it in the shine. And she felt it in the way the silver chain slid through her fingers like sand or water. Water to heal the sand! The idea was rather romantic and Temari liked it however off base it may sound. It was highly improbable that any water based healing item could come from wind country. But still she searched._

_From her lips flew soft versus. Words she may have heard before but could not remember where. Nor did she realize she spoke aloud at all._

_"My lips were wet, my throat was cold,  
my garments all were dank;  
sure I had drunken in my dreams,  
and still my body drank. Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink…"_

_And there on page two hundred and forty-six someone had drawn a picture of her amulet. The drawing paled against the yellow of the brittle paper, but the faint lines were readable. Each color blended into the next, swirling and fusing into an array of pale rainbow. But still the picture remained unmistakable._

_Jezzy gave Temari healing._

**_Agnus dei_**

**_Qui tollis pecata mundi_**

**_Mis se re-re, mis se re-re, mis se re-re_**

**_Nobis_**

**_Agnus dei_**

**_Qui tollis pacata mundi_**

**_Dona nobis, dona nobis, dona nobis_**

**_Pachem_**

**The thank yous!**

**BTphreek**- Thanks for your comments. The reason I didn't break between Pov switches was because I was trying something new (I was experimenting with fluency), thanks for explaining what you thought. Also, the name Renji is directly from Bleach: p nice that you picked up on it.

**crazy-antman**- Woot! hands out a muffin- the talking fur ball is actually a puppy dog! Surprise!

**Jan-chan**, I'm sorry about the wording in that phrase. I got it, but I guess no one else did. Review please!

**DreamAnimeKitten**- Yes, my story does have Gaara ;p compliments are always appreciated.

I do try, **Josh Beebe**, to add detail. After all, what is a novella without the detail? Or so my professors say.

For **pbjsandwich**- Good luck with that bloody homework. waves goodbye you were right about Kakashi's surname, I did make a mistake (I repeated it actually). XD


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